Potential legislative changes for IPO digital transformation

Overview

The Intellectual Property Office (IPO) is the government agency responsible for developing Intellectual Property (IP) policy and legislation. The IPO also administers systems for issuing patents, trade marks and registered designs.

The government’s ambition is for the IPO to be the best IP office in the world. However, the systems and processes it works with are outdated and holding it back. If somebody wishes to apply for a patent or trade mark, they need to use completely different services. For example, changing an address requires customers to tell the IPO multiple times on different forms for each patent, trade mark or design they have registered. This isn’t efficient or straightforward for customers.

Over the next few years, the One IPO Transformation programme will completely transform the services the IPO provides.

The IPO doesn’t want to replicate its current services but redesign them around customer needs. Instead of building services around the separate IP rights, the programme will create a single, integrated system for all registered IP rights – a one-stop shop focused around the key tasks the IPO’s customers want to perform.

Many of the laws that govern how the IPO operates were written when IP rights were processed on paper. Current services recreate that paper-based approach in electronic form. For true digital transformation of IPO services, the legislation needs updating to remove legal barriers and address inconsistencies between different IP rights. Removing barriers that prevent the IPO from being innovative will allow it to provide modern digital services fit for the 21^st century.

This consultation is the first to address potential legal changes needed for the IPO’s Transformation programme. As the programme develops, there may be additional changes to legislation which government may consult on in the future.

There are two parts to this consultation.

Part A focuses on proposed changes to the law to enable digital transformation of our services. We seek evidence and views on a range of options on how our legislation could be altered to better support innovation.

Part B focuses on proposed changes to the IPO’s Tribunal function to improve the service provided and align processes that should work in a similar way across rights. These are more specific changes on particular issues.

You may respond to questions in either or both parts. We welcome responses from rights holders, legal professionals, small and large businesses, individuals, and those with a general interest in how the IPO conducts its business.

You can respond using this online survey, or by sending your comments to transformationconsultation@ipo.gov.uk.

What happens next

The consultation has now closed. The government thanks everyone who has provided a response. We will consider all of the responses and publish a summary on GOV.UK, along with the government's response, in due course.