This is an excellent opportunity for ACID members to contribute to building a better design law regime in the UK. British design makes a major contribution to the economy, but following ACID’s and others submissions to the recent review of IP and Growth, commissioned by the Prime Minister, Professor Hargreaves made it clear: ‘the role of IP in supporting this branch of the creative economy has been neglected’
The Intellectual Property Office has therefore commissioned Speechly Bircham and Mountainview Learning to explore the effectiveness of design law in the UK and to research ways of bringing the IP system up to date by examining:
- How effective the current UK design protection system is seen to be;
- Whether designers and design based companies believe they can access justice;
- The effectiveness of remedies available for design infringement; and
- Barriers to enforcement of design rights
The recommendations from the report prepared by Speechly Bircham will inform Government policy.
ACID members’ Involvement
The IPO hope to gain a broad insight into the way in which design law operates in practice. They are therefore keen to hear your views on (amongst other matters) the actual and perceived efficacy of design law, the benefits, disadvantages and availability of the various remedies available to address design right infringement and your proposed improvements to the current design law regime.
In this regard, They would be grateful if you could take the time to participate in the online questionnaire, which is being undertaken by Speechly Bircham and Mountainview, and which will help them understand whether the scope of the law relating to design and the structures and methods of protecting the aspects of design which you consider to be valuable are in your view “fit for purpose”, and if not, why not?
Please follow this link to the Questionnaire – it will open in a new window
Please note that the date for completion of the online questionnaire is 20 April 2012
Thank you in advance for your time with this