Anvisa's Prior Consent as a Contribution to Global Health and the One Health System

The participation of the National Health Surveillance Agency (ANVISA) in the granting of patents for pharmaceutical products and processes in Brazil took place since 2001, giving this sector of the Ministry of Health unprecedented legal competence, until then exclusive to the entity of the National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI). This chapter proposes to analyze the technical and legal aspects inherent to patenting combined with the ability to make political decisions in favor of implementing flexibilities in the patent examination of medicines that may be favorable to public health. John Kingdon's Multiple Flows Model was the methodology chosen to understand the most relevant factors that influenced the government's agenda for the creation of Anvisa's prior consent. The results allowed to outline the political window that materialized the formulation of the public policy in question, as well as to call attention to the fundamental importance for the protection of the current needs of humanity and of its future generations inserted in the concept of One Health.

OPTIMIZATION OF TRUSS STRUCTURES OF THE STANDART SERIES WITH CROSS GRIDS

Представлено конструктивно-компоновочное решение стержней Y-образных и Ψ-образных очертаний в фермах с перекрестной решеткой или фермах с перекрестной решеткой и полустойками (полуподвесками), техническая новизна которого подтверждена результатами патентной экспертизы. Универсальность этого решения для ферменных конструкций обеспечивает ту эффективность, с какой оно применимо к грузовым верхним поясам, грузовым нижним поясам или грузовым верхним и нижним поясам одной и той же решетки. Повышена степень унификации типовой фермы из прокатных профилей за счет использования в верхнем поясе расчетных сечений, принятых для нижнего пояса. При этом ресурсы несущей способности разнятся между ними не более чем на полтора процента, что обеспечивает необходимую и достаточную равнопрочность обоих поясов для их более рациональной унификации. Выполнен сравнительный анализ основных результатов решения вариантного и оптимального проектирования ферменных конструкций применительно к решеткам с двойными системами полураскосов и решеткам с одинарными системами раскосов. Выявлена перспективность применения нового технического решения в составе несущих и связевых систем различных зданий и сооружений. The structural and layout solution of rods of Y-shaped and Ψ-shaped outlines in trusses with a cross lattice or trusses with a cross lattice and half-posts (half-suspensions) is presented, the technical novelty of which is confirmed by the results of patent examination. The versatility of this truss solution is as effective as it is for load tops, load bottoms, or load tops and bottoms of the same grid. The degree of unification of a typical truss of rolled sections has been increased due to the use of design sections in the upper belt adopted for the lower belt. At the same time, the resources of the bearing capacity differ between them by no more than one and a half percent, which ensures the necessary and sufficient equal strength of both belts for their more rational unification. A comparative analysis of the main results of the solution of the variant and optimal design of truss structures as applied to gratings with double systems of half-braces and gratings with single systems of braces is carried out. The prospect of using a new technical solution in the composition of bearing and communication systems of various buildings and structures has been revealed.

Examination of form not substance: Rethinking the patent examination process in Nigeria

In an age where knowledge assets play significant roles in the economic development of nations, the patent system has become one of the essential drivers of technological and economic advancement. Thus, the essence of examining inventions is to ensure good quality of patents granted by a patent office and to ensure that such patent applications satisfy the novelty, inventive step, and industrial application criteria. It is standard practice in most countries that patent applications by patentees go through examination processes before they are granted patents. Local patent rules usually guide such examination processes. The Nigerian patent system is not an exception to such practice. However, it suffices to submit only necessary documents for inspection by officials of the Nigerian Patent Registry before a patent is granted. This process of registering patents in Nigeria, which is the depository process of examination, is not thorough compared to the substantive method of examination. The substantive procedure is lacking in the Nigerian patent system. The need for a substantive process of examination in Nigeria is what this article discusses. The article recommends a mix of both the depository and the substantive process of examination in Nigeria, as practised in some countries to issue quality patents that would aid technological and economic growth in the country. The article also concludes that much more needs to be done by the government and policymakers in Nigeria in terms of funds, human resources, and other things to ensure the institution and sustenance of a substantive method of examination of patent applications.

OPTIMIZATION OF TREE STRUCTURES WITH RHOMBIC GRIDS

Представлено конструктивно-компоновочное решение стержней Y-образных и Ψ-образных очертаний в фермах с ромбической решеткой или фермах с ромбической решеткой и полустойками (полуподвесками), техническая новизна которого подтверждена результатами патентной экспертизы. Универсальность этого решения для ферменных конструкций обеспечивает ту эффективность, с какой оно применимо к грузовым верхним поясам, грузовым нижним поясам или грузовым верхним и нижним поясам одной и той же решетки. Повышена степень унификации фермы из прямоугольных гнутосварных профилей (профильных труб) за счет использования в верхнем поясе форм и наружных габаритов поперечных сечений, принятых для нижнего пояса. При этом ресурсы несущей способности разнятся между ними в пределах однопроцентного порога, что обеспечивает необходимую и достаточную равнопрочность обоих поясов для их более рациональной унификации. Узловые соединения стержней разных очертаний с верхними поясами позволяют оптимизировать опорные условия настилов и прогонов с уменьшением размеров их грузовых площадей. Возрастание общего количества прогонов приводит к снижению их суммарной массы и массы кровельного ограждения, что весьма актуально для вариантного и оптимального проектирования строительных конструкций с учетом риска лавинообразного обрушения. Выявлена перспективность применения нового технического решения в составе несущих и связевых систем различных зданий и сооружений. The structural and layout solution of rods of Y-shaped and Ψ-shaped outlines in trusses with a rhombic lattice or trusses with a rhombic lattice and half-posts (half-suspensions) is presented, the technical novelty of which is confirmed by the results of patent examination. The versatility of this truss solution is as effective as it is for load tops, load bottoms, or load tops and bottoms of the same grid. The degree of unification of the truss of rectangular bent-welded profiles (shaped pipes) has been increased due to the use in the upper chord of the forms and outer dimensions of the cross-sections adopted for the lower chord. At the same time, the resources of the bearing capacity differ between them within a one- percent threshold, which ensures the necessary and sufficient equal strength of both belts for their more rational unification. Nodal connections of rods of different shapes with the upper chords allow to optimize the support conditions of decks and purlins with a decrease in the size of their cargo areas. An increase in the total number of runs leads to a decrease in their total mass and the mass of the roofing, which is very important for the variant and optimal design of building structures, taking into account the risk of an avalanche collapse. The prospect of using a new technical solution in the composition of bearing and communication systems of various buildings and structures has been revealed.

Patent Examination of Artificial Intelligence-related Inventions

To date, artificial intelligence (AI) has caused fundamental changes in inventing processes, and many issues are arising therefrom, especially whether and in what way inventions implemented by AI are patent-eligible under the current patent regime. To deal with the issue of patentability, some countries have adjusted their patent regime to AI-related inventions. As a major economy with a world-leading AI industry, China has accumulated abundant experience in examining applications with respect to AI-related inventions. This chapter focuses on China’s experience in the examination of AI-related inventions and its latest regulatory movements in this regard. More specifically, it revolves around China’s practice of modifying its Guidelines for Patent Examination (‘Guidelines’) to clear the way for AI-generated inventions in April 2017, reaching consensus on applying the Patent Law, Implementing Rules of the Patent Law, and the Guidelines to examining the applications of AI-generated inventions, and further revising the Guidelines in December 2019 to make them more suitable for AI-related inventions. This chapter argues that these experiences can be a useful benchmark for other jurisdictions to grant patent rights to AI-related inventions.

Behavioural economics, elucidation of the patent examination process: Policy research for the improvement of patent examination efficiency and quality

Empirical economist Professor Ryo Nakajima, from the Faculty of Economics at Keio University in Japan, is investigating unproductive procrastination behaviours in relation to patent examiners. Nakajima is working alongside Associate Professor Ryuichi Tamura, from the University of Niigata Prefecture, and Associate Professor Michitaka Sasaki, from Tottori University, to research US patent examiners and, in particular, how their procrastination behaviors have substantial negative impacts on the quality and efficiency of the patent process. By scrutinising the patent prosecution data, the team will explore unproductive procrastination behaviors of US patent examiners, probe whether these behaviours are caused by present-biased preferences and estimate the magnitude of the problems. Thus, the research will examine the validity of the hypothesised present-biased preferences in a real work environment.