This article provides guidance on data requirements for certain IP rights in Equinox.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Use of history dates

You should be using history dates in accordance with our best practice that is outlined in the article Defaults for Storing Official Dates & Numbers. This includes using our date mapping rules to ensure that dates are copied between parent and child cases correctly. 

Number of claims for JP, KR, ID, PH, VN patents (PAVIS Error W13)

For JP, KR, ID, PH and VN patent cases, PAVIS require the number of claims to be included as part of the data transfer. To set this up on your system, you will need to:

Applicant/Owner (PAVIS Error F09)

PAVIS require an applicant/owner for each case that is transferred. For further information on adding an applicant to a case, see our article Add Applicants/Inventors/Licensees to a Case.

Publication Handling for PH Patents

For PH patents, the renewals are calculated from the PCT Publication date rather than the national publication date if the IP right is derived from a PCT patent. If a PCT publication date exists on the case, Equinox transfers the value in that field as the publication information to PAVIS. If no PCT publication information exists, Equinox transfers the value of the standard publication field. Please ensure that the PCT Publication field is set correctly in System > System Preferences > Cases > PCT Publication Field.

EP Validation cases

For EP validations, please ensure that they have the correct subcategory set, and if the parent EP case is stored on your system, that the cases have the parent/child link between them.

EP Validation cases need to match the subcategory that is set in System > System Preferences > Nationalisation, Validation, UPC and National Phases > Case Sub Category for EP Validations.

National numbers for IT, DE and HR validations

For IT, DE and HR validation of EP cases, the national number is required by PAVIS. Please ensure that this is stored in the Lodged field (Defaults for Storing Official Dates & Numbers).

Foreign associates for AL, BA, BH, CY, PL, TH, VN cases (PAVIS Error W02)

For cases in certain countries, the foreign associate information is required by PAVIS. Please ensure that a foreign associate is linked to the necessary cases - for information on this see our article Add an Associate to a Case. Please ensure that the contact is linked with the type Foreign Associate, and that the location address information in the address book is complete. 
Note - only one foreign associate should be set on the case.

International Trade mark cases

International trade mark requirements are below:

  • The international case should have country WP
  • Only the international case should have the Renewals Provider field set to PAVIS, the child national right cases should not have the field set to PAVIS.
  • The national rights cases should be created before the WP case is transferred to PAVIS
  • The national rights cases should be stored on Equinox as child cases of the WP case. The parent/child relationships are set automatically if you create the national cases using the National Rights tool.

The international trade mark case should be transferred to PAVIS via the standard process. As part of the data transfer for the WP case, the national right information for the child cases is automatically included. Only information for active child cases is transferred - e.g. if a national right is marked as abandoned, this will not be transferred as part of the WP transfer.

When the WP trade mark has been transferred, you can modify the included child countries from the renewal due date page. Use the checkboxes in the 'National Instructions' field to indicate which national right countries should be renewed as part of the WP registration. When you click 'Update', the updated child country information is instantly transferred to PAVIS:

International Design cases

International design data requirements are below:

  • The international case should have country WO
  • Only the international case should have the Renewals Provider field set to PAVIS, the child national right cases should not have the field set to PAVIS.
  • The national rights cases should be created before the WO case is transferred to PAVIS
  • The national rights cases should be stored on Equinox as child cases of the WO case. The parent/child relationships are set automatically if you create the national cases using the National Rights tool.

The international design case should be transferred to PAVIS via the standard process. As part of the data transfer for the WO case, the national right information for the child cases is automatically included. Only information for active child cases is transferred - e.g. if a national right is marked as abandoned, this will not be transferred as part of the WO transfer.

When the WO design has been transferred, you can modify the included child countries from the renewal due date page. Use the checkboxes in the 'National Instructions' field to indicate which national right countries should be renewed as part of the WO registration. When you click 'Update', the updated child country information is instantly transferred to PAVIS:


Unitary Patent Handling

Unitary Patent cases require the below:

  • The Registration of Unitary Effect date to be populated
  • The Grant field on the UP case to include the grant information of the EP case (like with other validations)
  • The UP case should have a parent EP case linked
  • The UP case should have the same subcategory as other validation of EP cases

Entity Size

The entity size can either be set at the case or applicant level.

Case Level: Please ensure that the Case Entity Status Handling field is set correctly in System > System Preferences > Cases > Enable Case Entity Status Handling. Once the setting has been enabled, the Entity Status field will need to be added to the case layout so that it can be set (Customise Case Layouts). If the case level preference is enabled, this will override the applicant level, so every case needs to be marked with the entity size.

Applicant Level: If the above setting is not enabled, the entity size is taken from the applicant linked to the case. In the address book, an applicant entity size can be set to either Micro, Small, or Large.

As different jurisdictions have different definitions of entity size, setting this at the case level is recommended.

Parent/child relationships

Cases should have parent child relationships where relevant. Examples of where this applies are:

  • Between a first filing and a claiming priority case
  • Between an EP case and the validation cases
  • Between a WP trade mark and the national rights cases
  • Between a WO design and the national rights cases
  • Between an EA case and the national cases
  • Between divisional cases

Post-Brexit Duplicates of Trademarks and Designs

For GB designs and trademarks that are post-Brexit duplicates of EU designs and trademarks, both of the filing and registration numbers need to include the '9' or 'UK009' prefix. If the filing number matches the original EU right (i.e. without the '9' or 'UK009' prefix), PAVIS will not be able to connect to the IP right.