Expansion of the IPO Patent Opinions Service
Reference: 2012-001
Launch date: 12 June 2012
Closing date: 4 September 2012
The Intellectual Property Office (IPO) is reviewing its Patent Opinions Service which allows individuals or companies to request an opinion on the validity or infringement of a patent. The consultation outlines proposals to expand the service to additional questions of patent validity, to validity and infringement of Statutory Protection Certificates (SPCs) and to provide the IPO with a power to begin revocation of a patent following issue of an opinion which concludes that a patent is invalid.
The consultation is directed to all interested parties including (but not only): patent holders, parties having an interest in others’ patents, patent attorneys, legal professionals, SPC owners, parties having an interest in others’ SPCs.
- Consultation document - Expansion of the IPO Patent Opinions Service
(934Kb) - Response document on the Patents Opinions Service (180Kb)
Impact Assessments
Following the consultation the IPO has also prepared a final assessment of the impact of the measures that will be taken forward and which require changes under primary legislation.- Impact assessment - Expansion of the IPO Patent Opinions Service (147Kb)