Today, the European Publication Server reached
a new milestone as the EPO published EP 4 000 000. The application
from L’Oréal, one of the top ten French applicants in the 2021 Patent Index, concerns
an image recognition method in which artificial intelligence (AI) is trained to
recognise skin tone, helping customers match their skin tone to cosmetic
products.
EP 4 000 000 is just one of a growing number of
applications involving fourth industrial revolution (4IR) technologies, a trend
observed in several EPO Chief Economist Unit studies. Over the past decade, 4IR
innovation such as AI has also spread into domains that are not traditionally
regarded as digital, for example, the cosmetics sector.
Based on an Administrative Council decision,
the EPO discontinued the paper publication of European patent documents in 2005
and began publishing only online in its official platform, the European
Publication Server. Each Wednesday at 14.00 hrs, European documents are
published and then cascaded through the EPO’s patent knowledge services, either
as bulk data, or in online search services such as the European Patent
Register, the EP Bulletin search or EP full-text search. Additionally,
the EPO publishes worldwide patent data through its online services including
Global Index, PATSTAT and Espacenet. Currently, Espacenet holds over 130 million
published patent documents and tracks the history of inventions and technical
developments since 1782.
The EPO is finalising the implementation of
its Strategic Plan (SP2023) in which patent information and patent knowledge
feature prominently. Through several projects and co-operation activities, the
EPO is enhancing access to patent information and ensuring that its technical
records are complete, accurate and effectively managed. This includes the
development of new tools and training services to help users understand and
exploit patent information.