Reviewed 8 September 2010

Small firms to get IP health checks

Intellectual Property audits are to be offered to small businesses up and down the United Kingdom (UK), Science and Innovation Minister Malcolm Wicks announced today.

Up to 40 small firms, many of whom have never before sought to protect their valuable intellectual property, will benefit from a 3-day 'IP audit' being pilotted from March by the Patent Office in collaboration with 4 Regional Development Agencies.

The pilots form part of a new Innovation Support Strategy published today, designed by the Patent Office to help UK business recognise, protect and maximise the value of their Intellectual Property (IP) assets to compete in the global economy. The Strategy implements the first of the recommendations of the recent Gowers Review of Intellecutual Property, published last December.

Malcolm Wicks said:

“Protecting and promoting innovation has never been more important for firms big and small, at home and abroad. Andrew Gowers’ Review underlined the importance of intellectual property in a world where the UK's economic competitiveness is increasingly driven by knowledge-based industries, innovation and creativity".

“Every business uses aspects of intellectual property, the name it trades under, process it uses or the products or services it provides. The IP audit pilots will help up to 40 small firms in the manufacturing, service, high tech, creative and other sectors identify what intellectual property exists and offer advice to protect, use and maximise its value. It is just one of a number of new initiatives designed to help businesses raise their IP game in the face of growing global competition.”

Other initiatives outlined in the Innovation Support Strategy will include:

  • Web based guidance to help UK firms operating in foreign markets. Companies working in fast growth economies such as China, India and Brazil will benefit from simple and concise guidance on obtaining and enforcing intellectual property rights to help them avoid elephant traps, overcome legal hurdles and guide them to reliable professional help. Working in partnership with UKTI, this Patent Office initiative builds on work the Government has already done in transforming our world class innovation and creativity into the products and services that the world wants to buy.
  • Trials of ‘patent mapping’. By analysing patent information the Patent Office will be able to identify trends in the market for particular products, services or research and development strategies. Businesses using this service will be able to use this information to plan company investment and highlight areas of potential collaboration.

Notes for Editors

  • A full public consultation was undertaken over a three month period starting in May 2006. The draft Innovation Support Strategy PDF document(290Kb) was published on the Patent Office website for comment. Hard copy versions were also sent to a wide selection of organisations, including various representative bodies.
  • There were 53 responses to the consultation PDF document(1.78Mb). 2 expressed a wish for their response to be treated in confidence. All responses were taken into account in drafting the final document.
  • Work on preparing and consulting on the draft Innovation Support Strategy was well advanced before the call for evidence on the Gowers Review commenced. The Gowers review team were content for the consultation on the Strategy to proceed. Gowers Report recommendations that relate to innovation support (Recommendations 26, 27, 28, 32 and 35) have been incorporated as action in the Innovation Support Strategy. The Gowers Report External Link can be viewed at the HM Treasury website.
  • The IP audit pilot will commence in March 2007. In partnership with four regional agencies 10 companies in each area, 40 in total, will be identified to take part in the pilot. Two groups will be targeted; companies that have filed only one or two IP applications and those that have never

Date of release: 1 February 2007

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