The British Library will soon usurp the Patent Office to become entrepreneurs' chief information source on intellectual property, it has been announced.
On Monday 5 September, the Library’s Business & Intellectual Property Centre (BIPC) will incorporate into its reserve the Patent Office’s search facility for information on patents, innovation and intellectual property.
Entrepreneurs and small firms will now be able to search comprehensive databases for information on patents and designs and will have access to trademark search files that cannot be accessed on the internet.
The move combines the Patent Office’s cache of information from its current home in Newport with the Library’s London-based collection of patent specifications and literature relating to patents, trademarks, designs and copyright.
“The British Library and the Patent Office enjoy a long history of close cooperation and share a common aim of supporting innovation,” said Lynne Brindley, chief executive of the British Library.
“We are confident that the Patent Office move will deliver critical support during the start up phase to small businesses and entrepreneurs in London and the UK.”
Earlier this year, the Library was given £1 million by the London Development Agency (LDA) to transform the pilot project into a permanent national resource. Since its launch, the BIPC - located in St Pancras, London - has received 25,000 visits.
