Intellectual Property is key to UK competitiveness in a global knowledge economy and the Patent Office is responsible for the IP regime which allows creators and inventors limited privileges, enabling them to lever economic success from their creativity.
The DTI Innovation Report, launched in December 2003 set out how the DTI needed to improve the way it helped UK businesses to successfully exploit their new ideas. The Patent Office’s role has been key in taking forward recommendations arising out of the report which included increased awareness and understanding of IP, improved confidence in IP protection by improving speed and costs of resolving disputes and working with others in tackling IP crime. Outcomes have included a range of tailored awareness raising for SMEs and an educational resource, the introduction of an Opinions service and publication of the first National Enforcement Report and IP Crime Strategy.
A recommendation of “Better Government Services—Executive Agencies in the 21st Century” published by the Prime Minister’s Office of Public Services Reform in July 2002 was that the central programme of quinquennial reviews of agencies such as the Patent Office (last reviewed in 2001) was abolished and replaced by business reviews of the end-to-end process in achieving specific outcomes. Each year the Patent Office agrees its Business Plan with the Department of Trade and Industry to ensure its objectives match departmental objectives and plans. Agency targets are reviewed on an annual basis and agreed in discussion with the Department and Minister. The Patent Office has a track record of continued improvement on timeliness of delivery of patents, trade marks and designs and has continued to reduce its backlogs (17 per cent. reduction in patents backlog for the financial year 2005-06). Agency targets for 2005-06 were met or exceeded and this trend continues into 2006-07.