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In April of 1997 EAPO granted its first Eurasian patent, and the period that followed was characterized by a steady upward trend in the number of registered and granted Eurasian patents.
As of January 1, 2000, 750 Eurasian patents had been entered in the Register of Eurasian patents, and 663 patents had been granted, of which 24 were granted in 1997, 209 in 1998, and 430 in 1999. Figure one shows the numbers of Eurasian patents granted in 1997-1999.
Diagram
The number of Eurasian patents granted to patent applicants from countries party to the EAPC was 82, of which 8 were granted in 1997, 26 in 1998, and 48 in 1999.
A total of 581 Eurasian patents were granted to patent owners from the states not party to the EAPC, of which 16 were granted in 1997, 183 in 1998, and 382 in 1999.
Most Eurasian patents were the patents for inventions on international applications transferred to the regional stage according to the PCT procedure. This number amounted to 489 patents (77%). The dynamics of the growth in the number of such patents by year, in absolute numbers and percentage points: 4 (17%) in 1997, 129 (61%) in 1998, and 356 (83%) in 1999.
Table 1 contains information on the distribution of Eurasian patents by the country of patent owner residence, in numbers and percentage points.
Table 1
| Country code | Number of patents granted | |||||||
| 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 1997 - 1999 | |||||
| number | % | number | % | number | % | number | % | |
| RU | 8 | 33,33 | 19 | 9,09 | 36 | 8,37 | 63 | 9,50 |
| BY | 4 | 1,91 | 7 | 1,63 | 11 | 1,66 | ||
| KZ | 2 | 0,96 | 1 | 0,23 | 3 | 0,45 | ||
| KG | 2 | 0,46 | 2 | 0,30 | ||||
| MD | 1 | 0,48 | 1 | 0,23 | 2 | 0,30 | ||
| AM | 1 | 0,23 | 1 | 0,15 | ||||
| Total | 8 | 33,33 | 26 | 12,44 | 48 | 11,16 | 82 | 12,37 |
| US | 39 | 18,66 | 104 | 24,19 | 143 | 21,57 | ||
| DE | 35 | 16,75 | 49 | 11,40 | 84 | 12,67 | ||
| FR | 6 | 25,00 | 18 | 8,61 | 31 | 7,21 | 55 | 8,30 |
| NL | 13 | 6,22 | 36 | 8,37 | 49 | 7,39 | ||
| JP | 1 | 4,17 | 10 | 4,78 | 13 | 3,02 | 24 | 3,62 |
| GB | 1 | 4,17 | 8 | 3,83 | 35 | 8,14 | 44 | 6,64 |
| BE | 7 | 3,35 | 6 | 13,95 | 13 | 1,96 | ||
| IT | 3 | 12,50 | 7 | 3,35 | 12 | 2,79 | 22 | 3,32 |
| DK | 6 | 2,87 | 13 | 3,02 | 19 | 2,87 | ||
| NO | 6 | 2,87 | 8 | 1,88 | 14 | 2,11 | ||
| SE | 5 | 2,39 | 7 | 1,63 | 12 | 1,81 | ||
| FI | 5 | 2,39 | 7 | 1,63 | 12 | 1,81 | ||
| CH | 3 | 12,50 | 4 | 1,91 | 23 | 5,35 | 30 | 4,52 |
| CA | 2 | 2,39 | 9 | 2,09 | 11 | 1,66 | ||
| CZ | 2 | 8,33 | 2 | 2,39 | 1 | 0,23 | 5 | 0,75 |
| HU | 2 | 2,39 | 3 | 0,70 | 5 | 0,75 | ||
| IL | 2 | 2,39 | 2 | 0,30 | ||||
| AU | 2 | 2,39 | 2 | 0,47 | 4 | 0,60 | ||
| KR | 2 | 0,96 | 2 | 0,30 | ||||
| LV | 2 | 0,96 | 1 | 0,23 | 3 | 0,45 | ||
| LU | 1 | 0,48 | 1 | 0,23 | 2 | 0,30 | ||
| GE | 1 | 0,48 | 1 | 0,23 | 2 | 0,30 | ||
| AT | 1 | 0,48 | 1 | 0,23 | 2 | 0,30 | ||
| IE | 1 | 0,48 | - | - | 1 | 0,15 | ||
| GR | 1 | 0,48 | 1 | 0,23 | 2 | 0,30 | ||
| ES | 1 | 0,48 | 2 | 0,47 | 3 | 0,45 | ||
| CU | 1 | 0,23 | 1 | 0,15 | ||||
| UA | 6 | 1,40 | 6 | 0,90 | ||||
| NZ | 1 | 0,23 | 1 | 0,15 | ||||
| MY | 1 | 0,23 | 1 | 0,15 | ||||
| BR | 1 | 0,23 | 1 | 0,15 | ||||
| VE | 1 | 0,23 | 1 | 0,15 | ||||
| BG | 1 | 0,23 | 1 | 0,15 | ||||
| CY | 1 | 0,23 | 1 | 0,15 | ||||
| CN | 1 | 0,23 | 1 | 0,15 | ||||
| MX | 1 | 0,23 | 1 | 0,15 | ||||
| PT | 1 | 0,23 | 1 | 0,15 | ||||
| Total | 16 | 66,67 | 183 | 87,56 | 382 | 88,84 | 581 | 87,63 |
| Amount | 24 | 100 | 209 | 100 | 430 | 100 | 663 | 100 |
The geography of countries where patent owners obtain Eurasian patents has expanded considerably. In 1997, representatives from 7 countries obtained Eurasian patents, from 30 in 1998 and 43 in 1999.
In the last three years, the greatest number of patents was granted to patent owners from the United States - 143 (22%), Germany - 84 (12%), Russia - 63 (9%), France - 55 (8%), the Netherlands - 49 (7%), and Great Britain - 44 (6%).
The share of patents granted to patent owners from countries party to the EAPC in the course of three years was 12%.
During 1998-1999 a total of 36 Eurasian patents (8 in 1998 and 28 in 1999) have fully expired in all states party to the EAPC because yearly fees for the maintenance of patents were not paid.
Maintenance of eurasian patents
Yearly fees for maintenance of Eurasian patents have been paid since 1998. While in 1998 the patent owners paid only the first yearly fee, in 1999, in addition to paying the first yearly fee, patent owners started paying yearly fees for the extension of Eurasian patent validity in the second and third year following the granting of their patents.
During 1998-1999, first yearly fees for the maintenance of patents in the states designated by the patent owner were paid for 347 patents (52.3% of the total number of Eurasian patents granted), fees for 79 patents were paid in 1998 and for 268 in 1999. Information on these patents is presented in Table 2.
Table 2
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | Designation of the Contracting States | ||||||||
| AZ | AM | BY | KG | KZ | MD | RU | TJ | TM | ||||||
| RU | 27 | 7,78 | 93 | 6,17 | 3,4 | 6 | 7 | 15 | 6 | 19 | 6 | 25 | 4 | 5 |
| BY | 8 | 2,31 | 19 | 1,26 | 2,4 | 1 | - | 7 | - | 3 | - | 8 | - | - |
| KZ | 21 | 0,58 | 5 | 0,34 | 2,5 | - | - | 1 | 1 | 1 | - | 2 | - | - |
| �� | 1 | 0,29 | 1 | 0,07 | 1,0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | - | - |
| �G | 1 | 0,29 | 2 | 0,13 | 2,0 | - | - | - | - | 1 | - | 1 | - | - |
| Total | 39 | 11,24 | 120 | 7,96 | 3,1 | 7 | 7 | 23 | 8 | 23 | 6 | 37 | 4 | 5 |
| US | 59 | 17,00 | 352 | 23,34 | 6,0 | 37 | 32 | 44 | 34 | 40 | 35 | 59 | 35 | 36 |
| DE | 56 | 16,14 | 200 | 13,26 | 3,6 | 12 | 15 | 31 | 15 | 28 | 15 | 55 | 14 | 15 |
| NL | 32 | 9,22 | 101 | 6,70 | 3,2 | 8 | 6 | 12 | 7 | 16 | 6 | 32 | 7 | 7 |
| FR | 31 | 8,93 | 116 | 7,69 | 3,7 | 10 | 8 | 16 | 9 | 14 | 8 | 31 | 10 | 10 |
| GB | 25 | 7,20 | 137 | 9,08 | 5,5 | 15 | 8 | 20 | 12 | 19 | 8 | 25 | 15 | 15 |
| CH | 11 | 3,17 | 29 | 1,92 | 2,6 | 2 | 1 | 9 | - | 2 | 2 | 11 | 1 | 1 |
| IT | 14 | 4,03 | 100 | 6,64 | 7,1 | 10 | 9 | 14 | 10 | 14 | 9 | 14 | 10 | 10 |
| JP | 13 | 3,75 | 78 | 5,17 | 6,0 | 9 | 7 | 10 | 7 | 11 | 7 | 13 | 7 | 7 |
| S� | 9 | 2,59 | 32 | 2,12 | 3,6 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 9 | 2 | 2 |
| BE | 9 | 2,59 | 58 | 3,85 | 6,4 | 6 | 5 | 8 | 6 | 7 | 5 | 9 | 6 | 6 |
| FI | 8 | 2,30 | 30 | 1,99 | 3,8 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 8 | 2 | 2 |
| D� | 7 | 2,02 | 25 | 1,66 | 3,6 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 2 | 2 |
| N� | 6 | 1,73 | 22 | 1,46 | 5,5 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 2 | 2 |
| �Z | 4 | 1,15 | 8 | 0,53 | 2,0 | - | - | - | - | 4 | - | 4 | - | - |
| IL | 3 | 0,86 | 21 | 1,39 | 7,0 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| �U | 2 | 0,58 | 12 | 0,80 | 6,0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| U� | 2 | 0,58 | 2 | 0,13 | 1,0 | - | - | - | - | - | 2 | - | - | - |
| LV | 2 | 0,58 | 6 | 0,40 | 3,0 | - | - | 2 | - | 2 | - | 2 | - | - |
| �S | 2 | 0,58 | 12 | 0,80 | 6,0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| KR | 2 | 0,58 | 4 | 0,27 | 2,0 | - | - | - | - | 2 | - | 2 | - | - |
| �� | 2 | 0,58 | 10 | 0,66 | 5,0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| �U | 1 | 0,29 | 1 | 0,07 | 1,0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | - | - |
| V� | 1 | 0,29 | 1 | 0,07 | 1,0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | - | - |
| �N | 1 | 0,29 | 2 | 0,13 | 2,0 | - | - | 1 | - | - | - | 1 | - | - |
| GR | 1 | 0,29 | 2 | 0,13 | 2,0 | - | 1 | - | - | - | - | 1 | - | - |
| G� | 1 | 0,29 | 1 | 0,07 | 1,0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | - | - |
| I� | 1 | 0,29 | 9 | 0,60 | 9,0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| �U | 1 | 0,29 | 9 | 0,60 | 9,0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| LU | 1 | 0,29 | 6 | 0,40 | 6,0 | 1 | - | 1 | - | 1 | - | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| AT | 1 | 0,29 | 2 | 0,13 | 2,0 | - | 1 | - | - | - | - | 1 | - | - |
| Total | 308 | 88,76 | 1388 | 92,04 | 4,5 | 127 | 109 | 196 | 115 | 180 | 112 | 304 | 121 | 124 |
| Amount | 347 | 100 | 1508 | 100 | 4,3 | 134 | 116 | 219 | 123 | 203 | 118 | 341 | 125 | 129 |
1 - Country code of patent owner�s residence
2 - The
number of patents for which the second annual fee was paid for 1999
3 - Same as
% of the total
4 - Number of designations of Contracting States in patents
5 - Same as % of the total number of designations
6 - Average
number of designations per patent
As indicated in Table 2, the average number of the Contracting States designated when paying the first yearly fee for the extension of patent validity was 4.3 (4.0 in 1998). Patent owners from the countries party to the Convention designated 3.1 countries on the average (2.5 in 1998). Patent owners from the states not party to EAPC designated 4.5 states on the average (4.3 in 1998).
Italian patent owners designated the greatest number of states (7.0), with Belgium (6.4), the United States (6.0), and Great Britain (5.5) following.
Periodicity of designations of States party to EAPC (as percentage from the total number of patents on which the first yearly fee was paid in 1998-1999):
| Russia | 98,3 |
| Azerbaijan | 38,6 |
| Kyrgyzstan | 35,4 |
| Belarus | 63,1 |
| Turkmenistan | 37,2 |
| Republic of Moldova | 34,0 |
| Kazakhstan | 58,5 |
| Tajikistan | 36,0 |
| Armenia | 33,4 |
In 1999 yearly fees for the extension of patent validity in the countries designated by the owner for the second year following the granting of the patent were paid for 71 Eurasian patents. Information on these Eurasian patents is given in Table 3.
Table 3
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | Designation of the Contracting States | ||||||||
| AZ | AM | BY | KG | KZ | MD | RU | TJ | TM | ||||||
| RU | 9 | 12,68 | 18 | 6,59 | 2,0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | - | 3 | - | 9 | - | - |
| BY | 2 | 2,82 | 3 | 1,10 | 1,5 | - | - | 1 | - | - | - | 2 | - | - |
| KZ | 1 | 1,41 | 1 | 0,37 | 1,0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | - | - |
| Total | 12 | 16,90 | 22 | 8,06 | 1,8 | 1 | 1 | 5 | - | 3 | - | 12 | - | - |
| US | 11 | 15,49 | 46 | 16,85 | 4,2 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 11 | 4 | 4 |
| FR | 11 | 15,49 | 32 | 11,72 | 2,9 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 4 | - | 11 | 3 | 4 |
| DE | 7 | 9,86 | 25 | 9,16 | 3,6 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 2 | 2 |
| JP | 6 | 8,45 | 44 | 16,12 | 7,3 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 4 |
| IT | 5 | 7,04 | 45 | 16,48 | 9,0 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| CH | 5 | 7,04 | 12 | 4,39 | 2,4 | - | - | 4 | - | 1 | 2 | 5 | - | - |
| GB | 3 | 4,22 | 14 | 5,13 | 4,7 | 1 | - | 3 | - | 3 | - | 3 | 2 | 2 |
| �Z | 3 | 4,22 | 6 | 2,20 | 2,0 | - | - | - | - | 3 | - | 3 | - | - |
| BE | 2 | 2,82 | 12 | 4,39 | 6,0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| NL | 1 | 1,41 | 1 | 0,37 | 1,0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | - | - |
| FI | 1 | 1,41 | 2 | 0,73 | 2,0 | - | - | 1 | - | - | - | 1 | - | - |
| LV | 1 | 1,41 | 2 | 0,73 | 2,0 | - | - | 1 | - | - | - | 1 | - | - |
| KR | 1 | 1,41 | 2 | 0,73 | 2,0 | - | - | - | - | 1 | - | 1 | - | - |
| LU | 1 | 1,41 | 6 | 2,20 | 6,0 | 1 | - | 1 | - | 1 | - | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| AT | 1 | 1,41 | 2 | 0,73 | 2,0 | - | - | 1 | - | - | - | 1 | - | - |
| Total | 59 | 83,10 | 251 | 91,94 | 4,3 | 22 | 18 | 37 | 18 | 33 | 19 | 59 | 22 | 23 |
| Amount | 71 | 100 | 273 | 100 | 3,8 | 23 | 19 | 42 | 18 | 36 | 19 | 71 | 22 | 23 |
1 - Country code of patent owner�s residence
2 - The
number of patents for which the second annual fee was paid for 1999
3 - Same as
% of the total
4 - Number
of designations of Contracting States in patents
5 - Same as
% of the total number of designations
6 - Average
number of designations per patent
According to Table 3, the average number of countries designated for the payment of fees for the second year from the date of the granting of the patent was 3.8. Periodicity of designations of countries (as percent from the total number of patents for which a yearly fee was paid in 1999):
| Russia | 100 |
| Azerbaijan | 32,3 |
| Armenia | 26,7 |
| Belarus | 59,1 |
| Turkmenistan | 32,3 |
| Republic of Moldova | 26,7 |
| Kazakhstan | 50,7 |
| Tajikistan | 30,9 |
| Kyrgyzstan | 25,3 |
Following the granting of a Eurasian Patent, its owners have the right to perform legal actions in their interests as permitted by the Eurasian patent legislation.
Seven instances of assignment and concession of rights for Eurasian patents on the request of the Eurasian patent owners took place in 1998-1999, of which 3 concerned concession and 4 concerned assignment (changing the name of the patent owner as a result of re-organization of a legal entity). The said legal actions were performed by EAPO, with appropriate entries made to the Register of Eurasian Patents and publication of changes in the EAPO Bulletin.
