Patent Piece Of Occupation Consultation: Non Much Fourth Dimension To Act

The initial review of the London Office has similar a shot concluded. The findings suggest the nature of piece of work existence undertaken past times the Patent Office represents a shift to to a greater extent than policy-oriented activities whilst maintaining traditional operational functions. The Patent Office Board believe this focus warrants a definite presence inwards London. The Patent Office says:

"The review too clearly indicates considerable under-occupancy of the hearing together with judicature rooms together with decreasing utilisation of the search room. There is a need to address these together with other issues. As a upshot a number of options lead hold been identified for reconfiguring the operation. The side past times side steps of the projection are to piece of work upwards inwards item options to address the findings of the review.

The Patent Office is consulting customers together with users over the side past times side calendar month for views on their plans. Options nosotros volition live on pursuing for private concern areas include:

- Redesigned reception amongst integrated personnel tending to whatever visitor to the building, thereby facilitating crusade inside the edifice to a greater extent than efficiently

- Provision for customers to file documents at reception during concern hours enabling our users to consummate their concern amongst the Patent Office promptly

- Potentially relocating the remaining filing functions to the reason flooring thereby removing the need for users to live on held upwards behind the safety barriers together with existence able to consummate their concern promptly

- Exploring the need to recover the costs for additional services over together with inwards a higher house a basic receipting service, e.g. checking contents of packages

Both of these options address the reality that e-filing solutions volition instruct to a greater extent than prevalent inwards the coming years. The Office too proposes to

- Combine facilities amongst those already acquaint at the British Library to do a superior service inwards London for database searching of patents, trademarks together with designs every bit good every bit viewing reports, files together with journals

- Continue to agree hearings inwards London merely explore options for reducing the number of rooms

- Integrate booking systems that facilitate maximising utilisation of the rooms

- Promote the work of applied scientific discipline for hearings inwards firm to offering a wider attain of times

- Integrate the Copyright together with Central Enquiries Units to standardise practices across the Office together with render customers amongst a holistic service.

- The policy back upwards constituent volition instruct a distinct activeness together with incorporated into the Intellectual Property together with Innovation Directorate policy back upwards team.

- Integrate the judicature secretarial assistant role amongst other judicature functions inwards the Office

- Explore opportunities for external provision of the secretarial assistant function

- The Patent Office believes it is necessary to lead hold some facilities for meetings at its disposal inwards London. Similar to hearings nosotros volition pursue the selection to trim down the overall capacity.

The overall place inwards London volition too live on explored. Alternative locations inside the electrical current vicinity volition live on considered on their merit.

We volition too catch a novel focus for the Patent Office that involves back upwards for the conception together with question policy agenda. Currently nosotros are working the inwards a higher house proposals upwards into practise together with a Business Case volition live on presented to the Patent Office Board mid-April for a definitive conclusion on the hereafter of London.

We volition live on keeping our customers together with stakeholders updated through Practice Work Group Meetings, All Presidents Meeting, notices inwards professional person journals together with websites together with emailed to specific interests".

says, if y'all desire to comment on these proposals delight do together with thence earlier Friday one April to london.review@patent.gov.uk.