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IP health check for SMEs

Published On 6 February 2007 at 12:46:20

The Department of Trade and Industry has revealed that a number of small to medium sized enterprises (SMEs) in the UK will receive intellectual property (IP) health checks.

The checks, which will take place free of charge at 40 SMEs, are in response to recent recommendations in the Gowers review.

Under the checks, which will take the form of three-day workshops, firms will be helped to identify what intellectual property rights they have and how best to protect them.

Lawrence Smith-Higgin, from the patent office, said that the events will also help SMEs identify occasions when they are using someone else's IP.

"For example, a hairdresser's might have a small CRM database, but have they considered making sure they are properly licensed?" he explained to the Register.

"They also need to know how to secure the rights to the music they play while they are cutting hair."

The minister for science and innovation, Malcolm Wicks, concluded: "The IP audit pilots will help up to 40 small firms in the manufacturing, service, high tech, creative and other sectors identify what intellectual property exists and offer advice to protect, use and maximise its value."

The events are expected to take place in March.

 

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