IP Connect - March 2024

IP Connect is the UK Intellectual Property Office (IPO) official stakeholder newsletter. Each month we will share updates on our policies and priorities. Subscribe now to get the latest IP news direct to your LinkedIn dashboard.

WIPO visit to UK

This month, the IPO welcomed Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization – WIPO , Daren Tang, to the UK.?

The IPO brought together the Minister for AI & IP, Viscount Camrose, Mr. Tang, and representatives from the UK banking and business sectors to an event in Parliament. The event centred around how businesses can unlock the value in their IP to help them scale and grow.

'Investing in Innovation'

During the event, the IPO and WIPO launched a joint report into the UK's IP-backed finance landscape. The report notes that the UK meets the essential preconditions for IP-backed finance to work at scale: a strong intellectual property (IP) regime, a pool of innovative firms, and a vibrant financial sector.

The Minister also announced that the IPO will establish an advisory working group, bringing together experts from the financial sector, IP profession, and academia to help shape policy in this area.

Neil Bellamy, Head of Tech Media & Telecom, NatWest Group said:

"IP lending offers an opportunity to enable innovative firms on their growth journey.? I welcome the Government’s commitment to improve insight into this emerging funding option and help shift IP lending into the mainstream."

'Get Paid Guide'

At a later event in South London, the IPO announced an expansion of the Get Paid Guide, in partnership with PPL and PRS for Music .

During the event, the Minister and Mr. Tang celebrated the expansion of the Guide to include songwriters, composers and now performers. The Guide will help them to manage their metadata, ensuring they can get paid correctly.

UK ranks 2nd in International IP Index

The UK has ranked 2nd in the U.S. Chamber of Commerce International IP Index 2024.?

The Index ranks the IP systems of 55 countries using 50 different indicators and aims to be a tool to support global innovation. It ranked the UK 1st in design rights, related rights, and limitations.?

Ben Llewellyn-Jones OBE , IPO Director Business & International Policy, said:

“The report demonstrates that the UK has one of the best IP environments in the world - we’re proud of our work to help keep it this way and ensure it gets even better."

Read more

Artists Resale Rights (ARR)

From 31 March 2024 artist’s resale right (ARR) reciprocal arrangements outlined in the UK-Australia Free Trade Agreement will come into force.

This means artists in both countries will benefit. UK nationals will receive royalties on qualifying art sales in Australia, and vice versa for Australian nationals’ art sales in the UK.

In addition, from 1 April 2024 ARR royalties in the UK will be calculated in pounds rather than euros. This change removes dependence on fluctuating exchange rates and reduces costs to UK businesses by making payments easier to calculate.?

Chris Mills , IPO Director of Rights Policy & Enforcement, said:

“The IPO has worked to ensure that FTA negotiations with Australia were consistent with the UK’s interests and the Government’s policies and priorities on IP. We are incredibly grateful to UK IP stakeholders for their positive engagement throughout the process, and for their support in achieving this positive outcome.”

Read the guidance

Enforcement visit to China

This month, a delegation from the IPO's Enforcement team travelled to Beijing and Shanghai, meeting with government counterparts, and representatives from businesses and ecommerce platforms.

This type of engagement is a key element in our ambition of developing global resilience to IP crime and infringement, which is a barrier to innovation.

World Trade Mark Review Live: Brand Strategy Summit Europe

Earlier this month, we joined brand representatives, platforms and industry experts at World Trademark Review’s Brand Strategy Summit in London.

IPO Deputy Director of IP Enforcement, Miles Rees, opened the summit presenting the keynote speech, where he urged brand owners to share data on the scale of IP crime facing UK businesses.?

Miles shared an update on the recent successes we have achieved since the launch of our Counter-Infringement Strategy. Through the Strategy, we are working with partners from industry, law enforcement, and government to identify and assess emerging threats to ensure we coordinate our actions in the fight against IP crime and infringement.

Read more about the event

UK-India IP webinar

The IPO has collaborated with the Indian IP Office to deliver a high-level webinar aimed at IP practitioners in India, organised jointly by WIPO and CIPA.

Adam Williams, the IPO's CEO, delivered a keynote speech alongside Prof. Unnat P Pandit , Head of the Indian IP Office, The Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys President, Matt Dixon and WIPO Deputy Director General of Patents and Technology, Lisa Jorgenson.

The webinar focused on themes including patenting in the age of digital transformation and enhancing patent prosecution for IP offices, IP attorneys, and agents.?

Adam Williams , IPO CEO, said:

"We take pride in our strong collaboration with the Indian IP Office, particularly under the leadership of Dr. Pandit, who, in his tenure as Controller General, has ushered in significant reforms and enhancements to India's IP regime."

UK-Uruguay Memorandum of Understanding

The UK has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Uruguay to establish a relationship and support the international IP system through a bilateral Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH).

The IPO is committed to boosting exports and investment by helping UK businesses and researchers develop, protect and exploit their IP in markets abroad. The bilateral PPH will support this commitment as well as strengthen links with our partners in Uruguay to help encourage inward investment into the UK.?

IPO Tracker

This tracker presents the latest statistics on application and registration counts for patents, trade marks, and designs.

Read February's statistics