PIB is a patent documentation search file for official use intended for determining the state of the art during substantive examination of patent applications. PIB was established in accordance with Decree of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine No. 3769 "On the Entry into Force of the Law of Ukraine "On the Protection of Rights to Inventions and Utility Models" of December 23, 1993 and put into operation on July 1, 1997. PIB contains national patent documentation and foreign patent-information products (in general on modern electronic media – CD-ROM & DVD-ROM) coming from the Patent Offices of the leading countries as well as international intellectual property organizations (EPO, WIPO). The documentation available here includes an extensive back file collection. The PIB’s CD-ROM & DVD-ROM collection as of  March 1, 2010 contains more than 13040 discs.