A law firm believes that changes at the UK Intellectual Property Office (UK IPO) might boost patenting in the UK
In a piece for Lexology, Nick Braddon of UK law firm Barker Brettell LLP, asks whether “UK registered designs [are] set to become more popular” thanks to both a new online application service for patents and a reduction in official fees, adding that increased patent applications and approvals will “benefit the UK economy”.
The online digital service allows for “applying for UK-registered designs”, and the UK IPO is also set to propose passing “on the associated cost savings” from the online service to “users by significantly reducing official fees”. Braddon adds that this is “welcome news” as it should “save applicants who register designs in the UK time and money, particularly when filing multiple designs”. Financially, Design Council research has shown that in 2013, the design economy generated £71.7 billion ($102.6 billion/€94.3 billion) in gross added value (GVA).
Despite a growth in design and the improvements, UK businesses have “not obtained as many registered designs as they should”, with Braddon commenting that “hopefully” the fee reduction – alongside the UK joining the Hague Agreement for industrial designs later this year, and a new campaign to raise awareness, called Beautiful IP – will encourage designers “to protect their designs”, and in turn “benefit the UK economy”.
He also pointed out that there is a “better choice for applicants”, as they can now opt for UK registered designs or a registered community design (RCD), which “provides a unitary right covering the whole EU”. This can often “appear to offer better value in terms of the cost for the geographic and economic size of market covered than a UK-registered design”, but “time will tell” whether lower UK fees will “lead to a higher proportion” of UK patents.
The old format of paper applications “is being retained for now”, but Braddon adds that the lower fees “will not apply” for this method, and any comments in response to the fees being lowered need to be sent to the UK IPO before 29 January 2016.
Source: http://www.therecycler.com/posts/uk-patenting-to-become-more-popular/
