Strong post-Brexit comeback shown by UKIPO’s record-setting year
The Innovation and Growth Report 2021–22 was just released publicly by the UK Intellectual Property Office (UKIPO). Some of the report’s most noteworthy talking points are the sharp increases in patent, trademark, and design filings, even though it provides numerous insights into how the office would help the UK “to become the most innovative and creative country in the world.”
The UKIPO granted 10,798 patents in 2021–2022, which is the most in over 30 years, and that is the overall highlight.
In 96.9% of cases where expedited prosecution was requested, the UKIPO issued the follow-up communication within the allotted two-month time frame. This accomplishment is especially amazing when compared to its 90% target and the record-high number of acceleration requests that have been submitted (partially driven by the growth of green and sustainable technologies, accelerated using the Green Channel scheme).
The report also emphasizes a significant advantage of utilizing the UKIPO as the initial filing office. The use of the PCT direct approach is now available as a result of the UKIPO increasingly outsourcing its patent search to the European Patent Office (EPO). According to our research, doing so gives applicants a highly cost-effective early view into patent filing strategies.
Additionally, a record number of trademark applications were submitted to the UKIPO in 2021–2022, up more than 16% from the prior year.
This may not come as a surprise considering that (post-Brexit) national UK protection may now be required, which may have previously been obtained through an EU trademark. However, it is promising that this shows that the UK is still a significant market for brand protection.
Additionally, the UKIPO now only needs five to fifteen days to examine new trademark applications, as opposed to the first three months it used to take. This is fantastic news for candidates, particularly those who work in high-turnover industries where registration delays can be a big hassle.
Over 71,200 registered design applications were filed, setting a record for the UKIPO. This gain was mostly brought on by an increase in applications filed via the international route, which applicants could not use before the UK’s ratification of the Hague Agreement in 2018. However, it also benefited from a post-Brexit recovery.
The same five to fifteen days are now allotted for examinations, and once more, the data demonstrates how crucial the UK market remains for designs after Brexit.
It is obvious that the UKIPO had a very successful year overall. While maintaining the office’s exceptionally outstanding customer service standards, filings have generally grown. Furthermore, especially in light of the high quality of the work produced, the UKIPO’s fees remain extremely affordable. For these reasons, UK national protection should be taken into account in any European filing strategy.
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– You could see The trademark fee in EU and UK here.
– You could visit here to see Procedure of Trademark in European Union.
– You could visit here to check Required documents of filing trademark in European Union.
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