British Library Launches Enhanced IP And Business Centre

by Robin Pilgrim, LawAndTax-News.com

13 March 2006

The British Library last week opened the doors of its enhanced Business & IP Centre, which aims to help the launch of 25,000 new UK businesses in its first five years.

The relaunched Business & IP Centre provides its users with free access to 40 high value databases, allowing them a saving of over half-a-million pounds in subscriptions.

The Centre also offers free access to the UK 's most comprehensive collection of business and intellectual property (IP) information, including around 50 million patent specifications, unique databases on trade marks and registered designs, thousands of market research reports, company reports, trade journals, business directories and guides to legal information and government publications.

Various ‘how to' guides are also available, including advice on writing a business plan.

In May 2005, the Centre was awarded a £1 million capital injection by the London Development Agency to help fund its transformation from a successful pilot project to a permanent national resource.

Commenting on the enhanced service now provided by the Centre, Sir Digby Jones, Director General of the CBI, observed that:

"SMEs are major driving forces in the economy; amongst them are the major corporations and wealth creators of the future. The British Library's Business & IP Centre is an example of the kind of initiative that will enable SMEs to grow and prosper, providing support from initial inspiration through to commercialising and growing their business."

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