New Act strengthens intellectual property rights for UK businesses
15 May 2014 12:51 PM
The new Intellectual Property Act receives Royal
Assent today (15 May 2014).
UK
businesses will be able to better protect their intellectual property rights in
the UK and abroad, with the new Intellectual Property Act receiving Royal
Assent today (15 May 2014).
A
key part of the Intellectual Property Act is the creation of new powers for the
UK to implement the Unified Patent Court Agreement. This is a central part of
introducing a single patent across almost all EU countries which could lead to
savings of up to £40 million per year for UK businesses.
The
Intellectual Property Act also provides new protections for designers, as well
as removing red tape and some of the uncertainties for businesses when
protecting their designs. It will also introduce a number of online services to
help businesses better manage their intellectual property.
Minister for Intellectual Property, Lord Younger
said:
Continued investment in intellectual property is vital
to all businesses, as it contributes £16 billion to the UK economy each
year. It is essential that we continue to work hard to create the right
environment for them to flourish so we can benefit from their creative designs,
inventions and ideas.
I
am confident that this Act will further strengthen our
world-class IPsystem – from research to market – and to help
businesses of all sizes continue to thrive.
The
key policies that will be implemented include:
- providing new protections for pre-publication research
to ensure the UK’s universities and the research sector remains a
world-leader
- the
introduction of a criminal sanction for intentional copying of registered
designs. This will deter those who knowingly copy UK registered designs and
will provide greater proection for our hugely important design sector. In 2009,
UK businesses invested over £15 billion in designs. The Act seeks to
protect and develop this important industry
- measures to help businesses assess the strength of
their IP case before going through formal and costly legal
proceedings, with the creation of a design opinions service
- the
expansion of the existing patent opinions service to give businesses involved
in potential patent litigation an impartial view on the strength of their case
on a much wider range of issues
- an
exemption to the Freedom of Information Act to better protect pre-publication
research. As a result researchers can more easily validate and analyse their
work before putting it into the public domain
- allowing the UK Intellectual Property Office to share
information on unpublished patent applications with other national patent
offices. This will help clear backlogs internationally
It
is expected that the new measures will come into force from October 2014, with
all measures implemented by late 2015.
Notes to editors:
-
The IPO is part of the Department for
Business, Innovation, and Skills and is responsible for the national framework
of Intellectual Property rights, comprising patents, designs, trade marks and
copyright.
-
This year the UK was rated number one in Taylor
Wessing’s Global IP Index in respect of obtaining, exploiting
and enforcing the main types of IP rights.
-
To
find out more about the IP Act visit the IPO website.
-
The
Intellectual Property Office has produced plain English guides for businesses:
What does the Intellectual Property Act mean for you?, explaining what some of
the changes to IP law on Designs and Patentsmean.
-
The
government’s long-term plan is to build a strong, more competitive
economy and a fairer society.
Industrial
Strategy gives impetus to the plan for growth by providing businesses,
investors and the public with clarity about the long-term direction in which
the government wants the economy to travel.
The first achievements and future priorities of the industrial strategy
have been published and can be found herehttps://www.gov.uk/government/publications/industrial-strategy-early-succ
esses-and-future-priorities.