No, the Patent Office isn't selling shares. But, much to the delight of IP lawyers tired of explaining to their clients why trade marks were dealt with by the Patent Office, it has changed its name.
From 2 April 2007, the UK Patent Office is the Intellectual Property Office. This is a result of a suggestion made by the Gower's Review, and aims to reduce confusion.
More importantly, it has given the Patent Office, sorry IPO, an important opportunity to revamp its web site, and surely even the most jaded person doing another online patent search cannot fail to enjoy the butterfly image which graces the new front page.
However, some might argue that as the guardian of innovation in the UK, a little more work on the new IPO logo might have been worthwhile...
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