UK Patent Office Launches Consultation

by Robin Pilgrim, LawAndTax-News.com, London

29 May 2006

The UK's Patent Office earlier this month launched a consultation to examine how it can deploy its considerable knowledge, resources and expertise to support innovation in the UK, beyond its existing support activities and core statutory functions of granting IP rights, serving as a tribunal and providing advice on IP policy to Ministers.

The Patent Office is consulting on a proposed strategy for supporting innovation, and it explained that:

"We want to ensure that our strategy for supporting innovation, particularly the programme of activities we have identified, is appropriately focused to make the most effective and efficient use of the Office's expertise and resources."

"We are also keen that our strategy complements rather than duplicates or cuts across innovation support activities being carried out by others. Above all we want to ensure that the strategy will deliver maximum benefits to UK business. This consultation is intended to give all interested parties the opportunity to help fashion the strategy so that it achieves these objectives."

In addition to general comments on the strategy, the Office is seeking responses to the following questions:

• Is the strategy supportive of and complementary to other innovation support activities being pursued by other organisations?
• Which activities in the programme of activities appended to the strategy would you say should be the priorities for the Patent Office?
• Do you consider any of the proposed activities inappropriate for the Patent Office?
• Are there any other activities you think the Patent Office should pursue?
• Are there any activities in which you would like to partner the Office in delivering?

Responses from interested parties are invited until August 21.

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