Copyright drives economic success of UK

Intellectual property in the UK in creative and innovative industries is essential to the country’s continuing economic success, the chief executive of the newly formed UK Intellectual Property Office, Ian Fletcher, has told a conference of patent lawyers.

“The real underlying message of the Gowers review was that we need to see his recommendations and terms of progress in a wider economic context,” Fletcher said at an intellectual property (IP) conference organised by the Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys on World Patent Day.

“The UK economy is incredibly rich in services, innovation, technology and design, in medical and in legal services,” Fletcher said. “Intellectual property comes very much into this.”

Fletcher was enthusiastic about Gowers’ recommendations.

“In a sense, they were reassuring and in a sense challenging,” Fletcher said. “He [Gowers] concluded that the IP framework was really crucial to the success of the UK and global economy. That’s what I’ve been saying and it’s good to have it reconfirmed.

“I think the big message is that the IP framework is legal and it’s scientific, but underneath it has a purpose that is economic. I think that’s something we have to be explicit with each other about – it is fundamental.

“What is compelling is that we need to judge the successes of the IP framework by the benefit it gives its users and the benefits to the country’s economy. That is the essence of Gowers and the challenges we face.”

The UK Intellectual Property Office was formed from the Patent Office, as recommended by the Gowers review of IP. Fletcher was the Civil Service’s international managing director for UK trade and industry before joining the DTI-run agency.

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