The UK Intellectual Property Office (IPO) Chief Executive Tim Moss hosted intellectual property (IP) leaders at a patent showcase event in London on 13 September.
Tim met with Director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Andrei Iancu and European Patent Office (EPO) President, António Campinos.
Topics discussed included their visions for the future of the global patent system, the transformation taking place within IP offices and the cooperation between them. They also shared thoughts on how these developments will benefit users of the global patent system.
The heads of offices met a selection of the UK's top IP professionals and groups representing the biggest users of the UK patent system.
President Campinos provided an update on the recently published EPO's Strategic Plan 2023, its five strategic goals, and how it will ultimately form a new framework for cooperation among all stakeholders in the IP system. A key objective of this work is to build a prosperous future for innovation and a strong patent network.
Director Iancu spoke about the USPTO's work on Artificial Intelligence and how they are approaching the issues it presents for them. He said:
A key objective of our work is to build a prosperous future for innovation and a strong patent network. Our organisations need to be agile and adaptable to new conditions and the changing needs of our users. Businesses today often file multiple intellectual property rights in combination, and in different offices around the world.
By aligning our tools, sharing results and promoting the creation of international standards we can help innovators secure the solid intellectual property rights which they need to rely on in a knowledge-based economy.
Tim Moss spoke about the importance of the collective influence of big IP offices and how they drive reforms, ensure digitised and customer-led services and the wider importance of having a general understanding of IP. He said:
We are seeing a global increase in patent applications. This reflects their importance to business and the importance of innovation to the global economy. By working together with the EPO and the USPTO, we want to maximise our combined influence to reform the international IP system to ultimately provide world class digital services for all our customers.
We believe that everyone should have an understanding of IP. Young people leaving education should know about the exciting career opportunities in IP. Researchers and universities should understand how to secure the greatest benefits from their research. All businesses need to be confident to make informed decisions about using their IP as asset.
