United Kingdom Patent Office
Encyclopedia
The Intellectual Property Office of the United Kingdom
(often The IPO) is, since 2 April 2007, the operating name of The Patent Office. It is the official government body responsible for intellectual property
rights in the UK and is an executive agency of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
(BIS). Some work on copyright
policy is 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.
s, and maintaining registers of intellectual property including patents, design
s and trade marks in the UK. As in most countries, there is no statutory register of copyright such that there is no direct administration required in copyright matters by the IPO.
The Intellectual Property Office is led by the Comptroller General of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks, who is also registrar of trade marks, registrar of designs and Chief Executive of the Office. Since 15 February 2010 the Comptroller has been John Alty, following the resignation of Ian Fletcher, who took over after the retirement of Ron Marchant
on 30 March 2007. The previous comptroller was Alison Brimelow
who was afterwards, between July 2007 and June 2010, President of the European Patent Office.
All of the above legislation has been amended extensively since it was first passed.
, 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.
On 1 October 2008, the position of the Company Names Adjudicator was introduced under the Companies Act 2006
. The Company Names Adjudicator's powers are enforced through the Company Names Tribunal
which forms part of the Intellectual Property Office.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
(often The IPO) is, since 2 April 2007, the operating name of The Patent Office. It is the official government body responsible for intellectual property
Intellectual property
Intellectual property is a term referring to a number of distinct types of creations of the mind for which a set of exclusive rights are recognized—and the corresponding fields of law...
rights in the UK and is an executive agency of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills is a ministerial department of the United Kingdom Government created on 5 June 2009 by the merger of the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills and the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform .-Ministers:The BIS...
(BIS). Some work on copyright
Copyright
Copyright is a legal concept, enacted by most governments, giving the creator of an original work exclusive rights to it, usually for a limited time...
policy is shared with the Department of Culture, Media and Sport and plant breeders' rights
Plant breeders' rights
Plant breeders' rights , also known as plant variety rights , are rights granted to the breeder of a new variety of plant that give him exclusive control over the propagating material and harvested material of a new variety for a number of years.With these rights, the breeder can choose...
are administered by the Plant Variety Rights Office, an agency of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
Responsibilities
The IPO also has direct administrative responsibility for examining and issuing or rejecting patentPatent
A patent is a form of intellectual property. It consists of a set of exclusive rights granted by a sovereign state to an inventor or their assignee for a limited period of time in exchange for the public disclosure of an invention....
s, and maintaining registers of intellectual property including patents, design
Design
Design as a noun informally refers to a plan or convention for the construction of an object or a system while “to design” refers to making this plan...
s and trade marks in the UK. As in most countries, there is no statutory register of copyright such that there is no direct administration required in copyright matters by the IPO.
The Intellectual Property Office is led by the Comptroller General of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks, who is also registrar of trade marks, registrar of designs and Chief Executive of the Office. Since 15 February 2010 the Comptroller has been John Alty, following the resignation of Ian Fletcher, who took over after the retirement of Ron Marchant
Ron Marchant
Ron Marchant was chief executive of the UK Patent Office, now known as the UK Intellectual Property Office, until March 30, 2007, when he retired. -References:...
on 30 March 2007. The previous comptroller was Alison Brimelow
Alison Brimelow
Alison Jane Brimelow CBE is a British civil servant and former Chief Executive and Comptroller General of the UK Patent Office, now known as the Intellectual Property Office...
who was afterwards, between July 2007 and June 2010, President of the European Patent Office.
Substantive duties
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 1988Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988The Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 , also known as the CDPA, is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which received Royal Assent on 15 November 1988. It reformulates almost completely the statutory basis of copyright law in the United Kingdom, which had, until then, been...
- The Trade Marks Act 1994
All of the above legislation has been amended extensively since it was first passed.
Location
Since 1991, the IPO has had its headquarters in NewportNewport
Newport is a city and unitary authority area in Wales. Standing on the banks of the River Usk, it is located about east of Cardiff and is the largest urban area within the historic county boundaries of Monmouthshire and the preserved county of Gwent...
, South Wales
South Wales
South Wales is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south, and Mid Wales and West Wales to the north and west. The most densely populated region in the south-west of the United Kingdom, it is home to around 2.1 million people and includes the capital city of...
, but a small branch office in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
has been maintained for the benefit of the large professional community based there and for communication with central government.
On 1 October 2008, the position of the Company Names Adjudicator was introduced under the Companies Act 2006
Companies Act 2006
The Companies Act 2006 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which forms the primary source of UK company law. It had the distinction of being the longest in British Parliamentary history: with 1,300 sections and covering nearly 700 pages, and containing 16 schedules but it has since...
. The Company Names Adjudicator's powers are enforced through the Company Names Tribunal
Company Names Tribunal
The Company Names Tribunal was created on the 1st October 2008 in the United Kingdom and is a direct result of the coming into force of Section 69 of the Companies Act 2006...
which forms part of the Intellectual Property Office.
See also
- Copyright law of the United KingdomCopyright law of the United KingdomThe modern concept of copyright originated in the United Kingdom, in the year 1710, with the Statute of Anne.The current copyright law of the United Kingdom is to be found in the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 , as amended...
- Departments of the United Kingdom GovernmentDepartments of the United Kingdom GovernmentHer Majesty's Government of the United Kingdom contains a number of Cabinet ministers who are usually called secretaries of state when they are in charge of Government departments called ministerial departments...
- Chartered Institute of Patent AttorneysChartered Institute of Patent AttorneysThe Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys is the British professional body of patent attorneys. It was founded in 1882 as the Chartered Institute of Patent Agents and incorporated by Royal Charter in 1891...
(CIPA) - IP Federation (formerly the "Trade Marks, Patents and Designs Federation" or TMPDF)
- Patents County CourtPatents County CourtIn the legal system of Courts of England and Wales, the Patents County Court in London is an alternative venue to the Patents Court of the High Court for bringing legal cases involving certain matters concerning patents, registered designs and, more recently, trade marks, including Community trade...
(PCC) - Patent officePatent officeA patent office is a governmental or intergovernmental organization which controls the issue of patents. In other words, "patent offices are government bodies that may grant a patent or reject the patent application based on whether or not the application fulfils the requirements for...
- Software patents under United Kingdom patent lawSoftware patents under United Kingdom patent lawThere are four over-riding requirements for a patent to be granted under United Kingdom patent law. Firstly, there must have been an invention. That invention must be novel, inventive and susceptible of industrial application...
- Company Names TribunalCompany Names TribunalThe Company Names Tribunal was created on the 1st October 2008 in the United Kingdom and is a direct result of the coming into force of Section 69 of the Companies Act 2006...