WIPO patent landscape report on solar cooling Christian Soltmann Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property, Berne

Structure Overview Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property WIPO patent landscape report on solar cooling Conclusions/general remarks

Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property (1/3) Overview Before 1996: Federal Office of Intellectual Property Since 1996: enterprise according to New Public Management philosophy supervision by board of management financially independent from federal sector public and commercial activities are separated

Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property (2/3) Major tasks examination of applications, granting and administration of patents, trademarks, designs supply of services for the federal sector supply of services for the public, e.g. for individuals unversed in intellectual property issues supply of commercial services for professional users of intellectual property

WIPO patent landscape report on solar cooling forms part of WIPOs Developing Tools for Access to Patent Information project project aim: improving transfer of technology to developing countries and facilitating access to publicly- available patent information WIPO patent landscape report on solar cooling (1/8) General

WIPO patent landscape report on solar cooling (2/8) Objectives identify and present overview of technologies for cooling devices driven by solar power focus on technologies that can be used by the population in rural areas of developing countries technologies helping to improve environment, life and health of humans, animals and plants and food security present solar cooling devices or processes which are easy to use, require low maintenance, can be serviced with little effort exemplify how specific technical subject matter can be searched in patent databases may serve as a source of information for decision makers on political level

qualification: search and analyses were carried out and quality- controlled by patent and search specialists in related technical sectors quality: analyses were based on high quality patent data strategy: no restrictions to countries or regions no explicit time limits different search concepts screening and categorisation of individual documents statistical analysis WIPO patent landscape report on solar cooling (3/8) Methodology

numerous inventions in the field of solar cooling were filed for patent protection in industrialised countries only various patent applications for solar cooling technologies were filed more than 20 years ago public domain WIPO patent lanscape report on solar cooling (4/8) Important results

many inventions address applications potentially relevant to developing countries for numerous inventions in the solar cooling field, only one patent application was filed WIPO patent landscape report on solar cooling (5/8) Important results

most active countries developing and applying for patent protection of solar cooling technologies: United States, Germany, China, Japan and France most patent documents were published in Europe, North America and Asia; only few patent documents published in Africa and South America WIPO patent landscape report on solar cooling (6/8) Important results

analysis: no standard procedure required: high-quality patent data/patent databases qualified/trained staff, appropriate technical background, experienced in using patent data WIPO patent landscape report on solar cooling (7/8) Conclusions

results of WIPO landscape report may serve as a source of information for decision makers on political level (top- down) results of report were processed to help potential users of solar cooling technologies to use patent information (bottom-up) important: disseminate patent information to potential users through appropriate channels WIPO patent landscape report on solar cooling (8/8) Conclusions

critical issue: knowledge transfer problems exists in industrialised and developing countries approach in Switzerland: open-door policy/low-threshold services attuned to target groups: individuals, enterprises and researchers training courses: specifics of intellectual property, legally available protection, availability of (patent) information assisted patent searches with patent and search specialists to facilitate access to required patent information Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property Services for the public

Thank you very much! Further information: Contact: Swiss Institute of Intellectual Property Stauffacherstrasse 65/59g CH-3003 Berne Tel. +41 (0) · Fax +41 (0)