Intellect reported this week that Science and Innovation Minister Malcolm Wicks had announced a new initiative that will see 40 small businesses given IP audits to identify what IP they use and how best to maximise value from their IP. This follows the recommendation in the Gowers review (see previous posts) that the Patent Office should "improve SME business IP support", and the Patent Office's Innovation Strategy, in which is states that it aims to:
"use the Office’s knowledge, resources and expertise in the most efficient and effective manner to support innovation and to avoid duplication of effort by working with government and private sector partners to present a simple interface for business".
It will be interesting to see which businesses are chosen for this pilot scheme and whether they do change their IP strategies following the review.
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