All Change at the UK Intellectual Property Office
Article from our Winter 2008-2009 edition of InsideIP.
The UK Intellectual Property Office, which was previously and more vividly known as the UK Patent Office, is undergoing several changes. For a start, the name has changed to simply the “Intellectual Property Office”, and there is a new logo and a redesigned website, both of which can be seen at http://www.ipo.gov.uk.
The Intellectual Property Office (IPO) is aiming to introduce by March 2009, a “Scan and Shred” policy for received documents. Patent applications filed will be electronically scanned, and the originals retained for a period before shredding and disposal.
The IPO currently scans all new patent applications, and from early 2009 patent applications will be processed completely electronically. It is therefore important that no documents are submitted to the IPO which may need to be returned. In particular, original assignment documents should not be filed. The new policy also highlights the need to maintain an accurate and complete record of documents filed at the IPO.
From 12 December 2008, the IPO has ceased offering a Designs Search service. This service provided a search of Registered UK and European Designs, carried out by IPO staff. The IPO states that there had been little demand, and so the provision of this service had become unsustainable.
The IPO continues to provide patent searching services. In particular, the IPO offers, for a fee, patentability searches, freedom-to-operate searches and validity searches. A “Grant assessment search” is also provided, which is targeted at assessing the awarding of grants. Additionally, the IPO offers a patent “Opinion” service, in which a non-binding opinion of the infringement and/or validity of a patent can be provided at a low cost.