Hargreaves review recognises importance of design IP to UK enterprise

18 May 2011

Published today, a government commissioned review into intellectual property rights has recognised the need for a review of the protection of design IP, crucial to driving the UK'seconomic recovery.

Launched in November 2010 by the Prime Minister, the review led by Professor Ian Hargreaves, was intended to create a national IP framework to “further promote entrepreneurialism, economic growth and social and commercial innovation”, particularly in the face of a changing digital environment.

But while digital IP isthe report's focus, design IP affects a broader range of businesses from designers, to engineers to manufacturers. Indeed, UK business invests £23 billion indesign annually, amounting to amounted to 1.6 per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP); a fact which the report notes. Much of this investment is made by small and growing businesses which the governmentis relying upon to drive our economy out of the recession.

Chi Onwurah MP, Shadow Minister for Innovation and Science stated at an APDIG conference last week, “I believe very strongly that IP is an essential part of incentivizing innovation, in as much as it enablesand ensures that the appropriate rewards accrue to those who innovate, be that innovation in the creative industries, the digital industries, or design. Given the context in which we are seeking to grow an economy recovering from recession, all the research indicates that growth will come from small innovative companies.”

Despite this, the UK's system of design IP protection iscomplex and inadequate; a situation which the review recognises, calling for further research before a review of policy at the UK and European level.

Protection for design IP,like copyright, arises automatically when the design is created. But unlike copyright, in fringing that IP is not a criminal act; the consequences forstealing someone's design idea are inconsequential.

The result is a countryin which it is common for designs to be stolen at trade fairs or duringpitches. While Obama has stated IP protection as a national priority, Danish and Dutch companies are refusing to attend UK trade fairs for fears their ideas will be pinched.

Mike Weatherley,Conservative MP for Hove and Chair of the APDIG's seminaron IP said: “A Parliamentary focus on this issue is of paramount importance at a time when the UK,a country renowned worldwide for its innovation, is attempting to harness this asset to drive growth. We ask Baroness Wilcox to recognise the recommendations of the Hargreaves review and to address design IP more fully”.

---

Press releases, papers and documents published on this page are the intellectual property of an organisation unrelated to Central Lobby. We promote their parliamentary and political campaigning activities as they are subscribers to the Central Lobby service.

As such, Central Lobby does not edit, endorse, or attempt to balance the opinions expressed on this page. The content of press releases and other such types of content are the responsibility of the originating organisation.