UK Intellectual Property Office

The UK Intellectual Property Office, or UK-IPO, is the operating name of what was until April 2, 2007, called The Patent Office [The change was recommended in the Gowers Review of Intellectual Property. Source:, [http://www.ipo.gov.uk/policy/policy-issues/policy-issues-gowers/policy-issues-gowers-governance.htm "Governance: Recommendation 53"] , The UK Intellectual Property Office web site. Consulted on 25 April 2008. ] . The UK-IPO is the lead United Kingdom government agency responsible for developing and administering policy in most areas of intellectual property, under the overall aegis of the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS). Some work on copyright policy is however shared with the Department of Culture, Media and Sport and plant breeders' rights are administered by the Plant Variety Rights Office, an agency of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

The UK Intellectual Property Office also has direct administrative responsibility for examining and issuing or rejecting patents, and maintaining registers of intellectual property including patents, designs and trademarks in the United Kingdom. In the UK, as in most countries (bar the odd exception) there is no general statutory register of copyright. Therefore, there is no direct administration required in copyright matters. Recently, the Office has also been given statutory powers to offer "Patent Office Opinions" on patent validity and infringement disputes; and to offer alternative dispute resolution services.

The UK Intellectual Property Office is led by the Comptroller General of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks, who is also registrar of trade marks, [in accordance with section 62 of the Trade Marks Act 1994] registrar of designs [in accordance with Section 44(1) of the Registered Designs Act 1949] and Chief Executive of the Office. Ian Fletcher took over as the new chief executive of the UK Intellectual Property Office on April 30, 2007. Ron Marchant retired on March 30, 2007. [http://www.patent.gov.uk/press/press-release/press-release-2007/press-release-20070320.htm Patent Office press release] , 20 March 2007]

The existence of the Patent Office and the post of Comptroller are required by the Patents and Designs Act 1907 (though most of the remainder of this Act has been repealed), but the substantive duties of the Office are set out in other legislation, including:

* The Registered Designs Act 1949
* The Patents Act 1977
* The Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988
* The Trade Marks Act 1994

All of the above legislation has been amended extensively since it was first passed.

Since 1991, the UK Patent Office, now known as the UK Intellectual Property Office, has had its headquarters in Newport, South Wales, but a small branch office in London has been maintained for the benefit of the large professional community based there and for communication with central government.

See also

* Departments of the United Kingdom Government
* Alison Brimelow (ex-Comptroller General, now president of the European Patent Office)
* Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys (CIPA)
* Patents County Court (PCC)
* Patent office
* Trade Marks, Patents and Designs Federation (TMPDF)
* United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)
* Software patents under the European Patent Convention
* Software patents under United Kingdom patent law

References

External links

* [http://www.ipo.gov.uk/ UK Intellectual Property Office]
* [http://gb.espacenet.com/ Online Patent Database]
* [http://ukpatents.wikispaces.com/ UK Patents Act 1977 and Rules]