The Intellectual Property Office ("IPO") has announced new measures designed to help small and medium-sized enterprises ("SMEs") protect their intellectual property.
The measures form part of the government's new Innovation and Research Strategy for Growth, which is intended to increase investment in research and innovation in the UK.
The changes are a consequence of the Hargreaves review which proposed that the IPO should produce plans to improve the accessibility of the intellectual property system to smaller companies.
The Department for Innovation, Business and Skills has said SMEs will benefit from:
- Free IP audits through organisations such as the Technology Strategy Board;
- An online register of advisors to assist businesses to find the most appropriate advisor for them quickly and easily;
- A new online business advisor training tool that will give advisors the skills and information they require to help businesses protect the value of their IP;
- A government consultation for businesses, advisors and IP specialists about how lower-cost IP advice could be provided; and
- Enhanced existing schemes such as mediation to provide a more efficient dispute resolution service with the aim of preventing costly legal cases.
The government has already taken several measures to support SMEs in response to the recommendations of the Hargreaves review including:
- Introducing a small claims process for cases under £5,000 at the Patents County Court for cases involving copyright, trade marks and designs (Click here for our guide to the Patents County Court);
- The launch of online patent service Ipsum which makes patent documentation available for free online;
- The return of the Fast Forward Competition which makes £760,000 available for winning entries to be invested in research and knowledge transfer projects that have the potential to create new companies or services; and
- Developing an IP strategy through the Technology Strategy Board for new technology and innovation centres.
The new measures have been implemented to help SMEs expand their business in the competitive UK marketplace. Commenting on the changes, Intellectual Property Minister Baroness Wilcox, said that the innovative ideas and creations of SMEs "can be worth billions of pounds so it is essential that we provide them with the support they need to protect and enforce their rights."