Research at IPO

We carry out and commission research relating to intellectual property, patent applications, trade marks and copyright.


Our research programme aims to help us develop policy that’s informed by evidence, and to help us understand the needs of service users.

Research and statistics

A full list of all the IPO’s published research are available.

Intellectual Property Office Analysis priorities 2023-24

Since 2010 the Economics, Research and Evidence (ERE) team at the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) has published over 100 research reports. Involving leading experts from the UK and around the world. This dedicated team of economists, researchers and analysts are working to:

  • build data on the role of Intellectual Property (IP) in the UK economy
  • link IP data to business data to better understand incentives and impacts
  • tackle the gaps in empirical evidence and evaluate the impact of the key policy priorities for the IPO

IPO counterfeit goods research

A large scale consumer survey looking at buying counterfeit goods

This is the result of a survey of 5000 UK adults (aged 18+). Those who completed the survey discussed their buying history and habits, including counterfeit goods.

The survey covered 6 product areas: Beauty and Hygiene; Clothing, Footwear and Accessories; Sports; and Toys.

The survey was developed in consultation with the relevant industry and trade bodies.

Evaluation

We are committed to evaluating our policies to demonstrate impact. Our Evaluation strategy (PDF, 297 KB, 4 pages) outlines the principles we apply when deciding how to plan for and carry out our evaluation projects.

Contact the research team

For more information on the IPO’s research email research@ipo.gov.uk.

To tender for IPO research, please contact our team on procurement@ipo.gov.uk.