[holding answer 30 January 2007]: For questions (a) to (d) the answers are as follows:
(a) The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory
DSTL had 459 patents granted up to 31 December 2001 in 95 families of which 232 patents (in 66 families) have been subsequently abandoned.
In 2002 103 patents were granted in 34 families of which 25 patents (in nine families) have been subsequently abandoned.
In 2003 158 patents were granted in 44 families of which 21 patents (in 10 families) have been subsequently abandoned.
In 2004 132 patents were granted in 44 families of which 25 patents (in seven families) have been subsequently abandoned.
In 2005 144 patents were granted in 42 families of which seven patents (in five families) have been subsequently abandoned.
In 2006 153 patents were granted in 50 families of which six patents (in six families) have been subsequently abandoned.
DSTL currently has 48 patent families licensed.
(b) The Central Science Laboratory
One patent published in 1999, granted in 2001 which was assigned prior to grant in 2000 to Royal Holloway and Bedford New College.
One application published in 2006, not yet granted.
Three applications filed in 2004 (two) and 2005 (one) all terminated before publication and grant.
(c) The Public Health Laboratory
17 patent applications were found, all of which were terminated before 2002. Four of the 17 were terminated before publication; two of the 17 were terminated after publication but before grant; 10 cases were ceased after publication and grant; one case expired at the end of the 20 year term (after publication and grant).
The register shows no license agreements. However, there is no compulsion on patent holders to inform the Patent Office of license agreements although some do. Accordingly the Register of Patents cannot give an accurate picture of licensing behaviour.
(d) The Veterinary Laboratories
No patents were found for this Laboratory.
In terms of “other Government Laboratories” we have identified the following as possible examples of many.
The first two have been supplied by the Ministry of Defence who have provided the information for each of the past five years on each patent family; a patent family being defined as a patent application having a patent granted in at least one territory. The MOD has been able to supply license information on these two bodies.
Defence Clothing and Textile Agency "DCTA" (now disbanded)
DCTA had 46 patents granted up to 31 December 2001 in 11 families of which 41 patents (in seven families) have been subsequently abandoned.
In 2002 11 patents were granted in three families of which one patent has been subsequently abandoned.
In 2003 nine patents were granted in three families of which one patent has been subsequently abandoned.
In 2004 one patent was granted.
DCTA currently has one patent family licensed.
Atomic Weapons Establishment “AWE”
AWE had 87 patents granted up to 31 December 2001 in 32 families of which 68 patents (in 32 families) have been subsequently abandoned.
In 2002 seven patents were granted in four families.
In 2003 12 patents were granted in eight families of which five patents (in five families) have been subsequently abandoned.
In 2004 23 patents were granted in seven families of which two patents (in two families) have been subsequently abandoned.
In 2005 four patents were granted in three families of which one patent has been subsequently abandoned.
In 2006 seven patents was granted in three families.
AWE currently has five patent families licensed.
Other “laboratories”
The following have been identified as bodies which may come under the general heading but for which there has been insufficient time to investigate in detail or identify any licenses.
The table indicates the total number of GB and EP patents published in the names of the Government research laboratories indicated, which were chosen as a sample of the most well known from a list from the UK Trade and Investment website (www.ibb.gov.uk/rd/natlab) searching “national laboratories”. We have not checked which of these are published, which granted, and no account of the date of publication or grant has been taken.
I add that these figures can be considered as approximate only, since the laboratories above may also have applied for patents in other names (such as Department for Trade and Industry, Secretary of State for…). Moreover name searching is fraught with difficulty because of the many different forms in which a name may be presented, and the figures should be considered as a guide.
Laboratory GB patents EP patents Central Laboratory of the Research Councils 0 0 Central Research Laboratories Ltd 102 48 Central Science Laboratory 0 0 Centre for Applied Microbiology and Research 0 0 Health and Safety Laboratory 0 0 Laboratory of the Government Chemist 0 0 Marie Curie Research Institute 0 0 Medical Research Council 43 22 National Engineering Laboratory 0 0 National Physical Laboratory 0 0 National Radiological Protection Board 3 0 NI Knowledge Engineering Laboratory 0 0 Public Health Laboratory 2 0 Royal Victoria Infirmary 0 0 Scottish Agricultural Science Board 0 0 The Institute of Animal Health 1 2 The National Weights and Measures Laboratory 0 0 The Roslin Institute 10 13 Transport Research Laboratory (TRL Ltd) 3 0 UK Human Genome Mapping Project Resource Centre 0 0