By Chloe Williamson
Following the UK Intellectual Property Office’s (IPO) recent proposals, patents may soon be granted in less than 90 days instead of the current time of up to five years. The IPO hopes that superfast patents, which are currently in a consultation phase, will be available at the end of the year if they pass this phase.
The faster service would cost between £3500 and £4000 on top of the usual fees and anyone would be able to pay and use the service. The IPO currently offers a quicker service where a patent can be granted in a year if there are special circumstances which merit a patent being granted faster than normal. These circumstances include companies facing infringement threats and companies working in sectors such as green technology.
Intellectual Property Minister James Younger has spoken about the IPO’s intentions by proposing the new faster patent service. He has said that “inspiration and inventive thoughts can emerge at any time, but acting on them quickly can often be the catalyst for making a real difference”.
The UK government certainly wants to aid the growth of the UK’s economy by supporting and helping innova...
