Innovative small businesses will be interested to hear that the Patent Office has announced the launch of a consultation on proposed rules to modernise patent litigation.
According to the Patent office, the new rules ‘set out flexible and user-friendly procedures which reflect the realities of litigation procedure’.
The new litigation procedures are among a series of changes proposed including new measures such as the electronic filing of patent applications and digital libraries of patent documents available online.
The consultation is open until Tuesday 5 June 2007, and can be viewed at www.patent.gov.uk
There is also currently a three-day ‘IP audit’ scheme being piloted 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 Science and Innovation Minister Malcolm Wicks.
“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.
© Crimson Business Ltd. 2007
