Terms of reference

Marks and Design Forum

Establishment

1. The Marks and Design Forum (MDF) will be set up as a notification, consultative and advisory panel for the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) committee, with the IPO providing administrative support.

Function

2. MDF will be a forum for the consideration of government policy in relation to:

  • trade mark and design rights in the UK and in the EU;
  • company names; and
  • substantive issues of practice and law in relation to the same.

3. In particular, MDF will have regard to:

  • the strategic objectives we are aiming to achieve with TM and design policy;
  • the desirability of significant legal and practice changes, and consideration of their impact on professional representatives, rights holders and business;
  • ensuring that the benefits of registering trade marks and designs are better understood by businesses and individuals; and
  • the consistency of practice between the IPO and other registries, particularly the OHIM.

We anticipate that minor issues relating to registry operations and practice will be dealt with elsewhere.

Membership

4. Membership is listed in the Annex.

5. There should be no more than two representatives from each organisation listed.

Meetings

6. MDF will meet up to four times a year.

7. A draft agenda will be circulated to the members approximately 20 working days before each meeting, with a call for agenda topics; the final agenda and any discussion papers will be issued 10 days before the meeting.

Reporting

8. Minutes setting out actions points will be circulated within one month of each meeting.

Resources

MDF will have a Secretariat which will be provided by the Intellectual Property Office.

Members

Bar Council
British Brands Group
CBI
Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys
Design Council
Federation of Small Businesses
Institute of Trade Mark Attorneys
IP Federation
Law Society
Intellectual Property Office