Intellectual Property Office
This is going to be a really exciting year for us at the IPO. Soon well be piloting our new patents service which will make applying for, managing and monitoring patents far easier.However, it hasnt been without its challenges. As were entering 2024, now is a great opportunity to update you on where we are with the programme, and what you can expect this year.
What have we achieved so far?
Im really pleased to share that towards the end of last year, we reached three huge milestones:
- The first customers have now successfully registered for their IP account and are able to view a selection of their IP rights. They, along with some of our other customers will be trialling the new patents service over the coming months as we gradually add functionality ahead of its launch.
- Weve completed development of our new online IP search tool. Our pilot customers have been using and testing this ahead of its launch in mid 2024. So far, weve received really positive feedback that the service is easy to use and contains some exciting new features.
- Weve consolidated all of our data onto our new systems, which involved transferring hundreds of thousands of patent records. This has been a huge undertaking and is absolutely pivotal to our Transformation moving this data allows us to offer customers a single view of all their patents straight from their IPO customer account.
When will the new services launch?
Im really proud of the significant progress weve made in developing our new patents service. However, the scale and complexity of the work has meant that some elements have taken us longer than we hoped. As a result, we now expect the new patents service to launch no sooner than late 2024 a bit later than wed planned.
Our number one priority throughout has been to deliver a quality service for customers, and we will take the time needed to get it right. Thats why we made the decision to take a little longer. Im confident this will allow us to deliver a really great service that meets your needs.
We currently expect the new trade marks, designs and tribunal services to launch in late 2025 as planned.
When can you see the new services?
Were really excited to share what weve been working on with you. As we approach the launch of the new service, well offer in person drop-in sessions where youll be able to try out our new service before it launches.
These services have been designed to be really easy to use, but we will provide you with support so that you feel confident using them. As part of this well be working with the Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys (CIPA) to ensure you have training materials that reflect the latest changes to our services.
Whats next?
Weve now made the first important steps towards launching the new patents service, so whats next?
The Transformation team and I are working incredibly hard to finish development of the new patents service. We will continue rolling out our new patents service to customers on our pilot over the coming months. From there, well add features gradually until the service is ready to launch to all customers towards the end of the year.
Well also start work on the trade marks, tribunals and designs services in the next few months. Well start by talking to customers to understand what they need from the new services. Your feedback is vital to this, so please take the time to speak to us. Visit our user research webpage to find out more and