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UK-IPO free booklet helps business unlock the value of innovation

UK INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY OFFICE News Release issued by The Government News Network on 1 August 2008

Modernisation and Consolidation of the Trade Marks Rules.

A new booklet launched today by the UK Intellectual Property Office will help small businesses exploit their intellectual property.

The booklet "How Licensing Intellectual Property Can Help Your Business" provides a wide range of information on IP licensing which includes advice on how to approach and conduct a productive IP licensing deal.

Licensing intellectual property is important to all types of businesses and can be a key instrument to achieving success. For example, licensing can be appropriate to those who invent a product, to manufacturers and designers who configure or refine a product's appearance to the producers of packaging and marketing literature and materials. Through licensing businesses can gain benefits, financial or otherwise, by allowing others to use their intellectual property. Licensing also provides a means to gain access to intellectual property other businesses hold in order develop new products.

Ian Fletcher Chief Executive of UK-IPO said,

"The 'Innovation Nation' White Paper published earlier this year, sets out the Government's goal to make the UK the best place in the world to run a creative, innovative business. We live in a world where "open innovation" - the exchange of ideas, knowledge and intellectual property - is becoming the way in which businesses develop and build new products.

Licensing is the fundamental mechanism within the intellectual property system that facilitates open innovation. I am delighted to publish this booklet today which provides an illuminating account of the key elements of licensing from a newcomers perspective. We want businesses to gain the most value they can from their intellectual property and also to accelerate innovative development by working in collaboration with other businesses in using IP."

The new booklet was produced by the UK-IPO-led Business-to-Business Licensing Working Group which comprises over twenty individuals with a range of expertise and experience of licensing. The B2B group was set up in response to the recent Gowers Review of Intellectual Property, which highlighted the fact that UK businesses experienced problems with IP licensing.

Editors Notes:

* The booklet "How Licensing Intellectual Property Can Help Your Business can be viewed at http://www.ipo.gov.uk/licensingbooklet.pdf
* If you would like a paper copy of the booklet please contact UK-IPO Central Enquiry Unit on 08459 500 505
* An IP licence is a permission to do something that, without the licence, would be an infringement of IP. An example of an IP licence is the licence you get whenever you purchase a copy of software to use on your computer.
* The Innovation White Paper can be viewed at http://www.dius.gov.uk/publications/ScienceInnovation.pdf
* The Gowers Review of Intellectual Property can be viewed at http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/media/6/E/pbr06_gowers_report_755.pdf