A CONSULTATION on proposed changes to the 25-year-old patent laws has been launched by Melanie Johnson, the Minister for Competition, Consumers & Markets.
Apart from some limited changes in 1988 and 2000, the proposals represent the first significant up-dating of UK patents legislation since the introduction of the Patents Act 1977.
New legislation will be introduced to Parliament when time permits.
Melanie Johnson said: "Changes to the law are essential if the UK is to deliver on its commitment to implement the recent changes to the European Patent
Convention (EPC) with which UK patent law is aligned.
"This will ensure that UK businesses can continue to use a single application to
obtain patents that are valid in up to 24 European countries, including the UK."
Changes will encourage investigation of new medicinal uses for known
pharmaceuticals and provide a new procedure for patent proprietors -- in the event of a legal challenge -- to limit their patent coverage rather than losing it altogether.
Other proposed changes are designed to make it easier for businesses to maintain and protect their patents once granted. For example, it might be possible that the UK Patent Office could provide a more rapid and lower cost alternative to court proceedings as well as providing
a reliable and effective assessment of a patent's validity prior to such proceedings.
The deadline for responses is February 19, 2002.
More information about the consultation is available on: www.patent.gov.uk.
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