New online patent inspection service launched
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06 October 2011 - BIS
UK business could save
nearly £100,000 per year thanks to a free patent system launched by the
Intellectual Property Office (IPO). The new online service, called
Ipsum, will remove the cost to businesses of requesting patent
documents; instead they will now be available for free at the click of
a button.
The service is open to anyone, benefiting businesses
researching patents, patent attorneys working for clients protecting
their IP rights and potential inventors looking for the best way to
find information on patent applications. This can help them understand
why a patent was granted or rejected or know more about particular
patents.
Previously each document requested by a business would cost £5
and by the time it had been delivered it might already be out of date.
Ipsum is updated in real time so businesses will now have the up to
date information on patent applications they need.
Minister for Intellectual Property Baroness Wilcox said:
“Ipsum is free so it removes unnecessary costs for businesses.
The service will give businesses, universities and consumers instant
access to the information they need so they can understand the progress
of patent applications and save money.
“Patent examiners around the world will also benefit as they
can now immediately understand why the UK Intellectual Property Office
did, or did not, grant a patent. This could help reduce the global back
log of applications benefiting UK business hoping to get their patents
processed in another country.”
The service is available on the IPO website – www.ipo.gov.uk/p-ipsum.
The Hargreaves Review of Intellectual Property and
Growth highlighted that patent backlogs can have a negative
effect on innovation and growth. The launch of Ipsum is another step
towards implementing the commitments Government made in its response to
the Review.
Tim Roberts, President of the Chartered Institute of Patent
Attorneys said:
“This online access to patent files will certainly make it
easier and quicker for our profession to get hold of up-to-date
information. It will also make the patent system more transparent and
understandable for business people and the general public.”
The system was officially launched by Baroness Wilcox in a
speech to the annual congress of the Chartered Institute of Patent
Attorneys (CIPA) in London today.
Notes
1. The Intellectual Property Office (IPO) is within the
Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) and is responsible
for the national framework of Intellectual Property rights, comprising
patents, designs, trade marks and copyright.
2. 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.
3. 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 Intellectual Property (IP)
to which the United Kingdom is a party.
4. Ipsum is available at http://www.ipo.gov.uk/p-ipsum
5. The Hargreaves Review of Intellectual Property and Growth,
and the Government’s response can be found at www.ipo.gov.uk/types/hargreaves.htm
6. The name ‘Ipsum’ was chosen following a staff competition
at the IPO. The word is from Latin meaning ‘the very thing itself’ and
is a reference to the Latin origin of ‘patent’ and that the service
allows users to see the very patent documents themselves.
7. For further information, please contact Dan Palmer on 0207
215 5303 or e-mail communications@ipo.gov.uk.
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 2011-10-09 02:30:01 in Business Articles
