Baroness Wilcox launches Peer to Patent in the UK
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Issued on Wednesday 1 June 2011 - BIS and
Intellectual Property Office
An innovative new tool designed to help improve the patent
application process was launched today by the Minister for Intellectual
Property, Baroness Wilcox. Peer to Patent is a review website which
allows experts from the scientific and technology community to view and
comment on patent applications.
During the six month pilot up to 200 applications in the
computing field will be gradually uploaded for review on the website.
These will include a range of inventions from computer mice to complex
processor operations.
Today, the first group of applications have been uploaded to
the Peer to Patent website (www.peertopatent.org.uk)
and are now open for review by registered users for three months.
Following this, the system will create a summary of the comments which
will be sent to a Patent Examiner at the Intellectual Property Office
(IPO). Examiners will then consider these as part of the patent review
process.
Speaking about the launch in the UK today, Baroness Wilcox
said:
“Patent applications granted after using the Peer to Patent
website review will be potentially stronger, giving businesses better
protection to grow their innovative ideas. This will give the IPO
access to a wider body of knowledge when deciding whether a patent
should be granted.
“The pilot will give experts the opportunity to comment on
patent applications and share their vital expertise before patents are
granted. It will also mean that inventions already known in the wider
community will be filtered out more readily.
“Peer to Patent is a step
forward in supporting growth by reinforcing the patent bedrock on which
innovative businesses thrive.”
President of the Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys
(CIPA) Alasdair Poore said:
"The quality of patent applications is so important.
Interested observers are the ones who have the expert knowledge, so
Peer to Patent gives them the chance to make a real contribution. We
welcome this pilot as a way of exploring how third party opinions can
really improve the quality of patents. I hope users, observers and
applicants will engage positively and constructively in the pilot to
show that it can work, and help to build a stronger UK patent system.”
The UK pilot goes live today (1 June) and follows on from
successful Peer to Patent websites that have already been run in the
USA and Australia. The project was developed by the New York Law School
(NYLS) from the work of Professor Beth Noveck. The pilot will end on 31
December 2011.
Notes:
- The
Intellectual Property Office is within 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.
- Its
role is to help manage an IP system
that encourages innovation and creativity, balances the needs of
consumers and users, promotes strong and competitive markets and is the
foundation of the knowledge based economy.
- It
operates in a national and an international environment and its work is
governed by national and international law, including various
international treaties relating to IP to which the United Kingdom is a
party.
About the Author
© Crown Copyright. Material taken from the BIS Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. Reproduced under the terms and conditions of the Click-Use Licence.
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Article Published/Sorted/Amended on Scopulus 2011-06-03 12:30:45 in Business Articles
