Partner Article

Government seek views on IPO services

The Government is seeking the views of businesses on how to improve its intellectual property office.

The Intellectual Property Office has set out proposals to expand its Patent Opinions services, and wants to know how to improve its Mediation Service.

Costs of managing IP, particularly associated with dispute resolution, was identified by the Hargreaves Review as one of the main barriers facing SMEs as they tried to make the most of their Intellectual Property.

Minister for Intellectual Property Baroness Wilcox said: “As users of the Patent Opinions or Mediation Services, this is your chance to let us know how we can better meet your needs.

“Your input will have a direct effect on how these services are improved to help you resolve intellectual property disputes quickly and in a cost-effective way.”

The IPO’s Patent Opinions Service allows individuals or companies to request an opinion on the validity or infringement of a patent and is well used.

A review of this showed users wanted the service to expand to aid resolution of further patent disputes.

The Government is now consulting on expanding the questions relating to patent validity that can be the subject of an opinion; expanding the service to offer opinions as to whether a Supplementary Protection Certificate is valid or is infringed; and giving the IPO the power to consider revoking a patent following issue of an opinion which concludes it is invalid.

Uptake of the IPO’s Mediation Service has been low, and therefore it is seeking comments and supporting evidence from key stakeholders and IP right holders on the reasons for this.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Tom Keighley .