Intellectual Property (IP) audits are to be offered to small firms by regional development agencies to protect innovation in the UK, it has been announced.
Science and Innovation Minister Malcolm Wicks announced the pilot scheme, designed to help UK businesses to ‘recognise, protect and maximise the value of their intellectual property to compete in the global economy’.
The three-day ‘IP audit’ is to be piloted in March by the Patent Office in conjunction with four regional development agencies.
The scheme comes in the wake of the recommendations of the recent Gowers Review of Intellectual Property, published last December.
“Protecting and promoting innovation has never been more important for firms big and small, at home and abroad,” said Wicks.
“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 pilot forms part of the government’s Innovation Support Strategy, which will also include the development of web-based guidance to help UK firms operating in foreign markets.
There will also be the introduction of ‘patent mapping’ where the Patent Office will be able to identify trends in the market for certain products or services.
Business will then be able to use this information to plan company investment and highlight areas of potential collaboration.
© Crimson Business Ltd. 2007
