Join the UK IPO working group on IP enforcement

The UK Intelletual Property Office is looking for people with first-hand experience and/or a working knowledge of using the IP enforcement framework to protect their intellectual property to join their working group.

The aim of the working group is to help the IPO to identify what issues rights holders and businesses face in protecting and enforcing their IP, through a call for evidence and gathering real life case studies.

The working group will be established to:

1. Provide knowledge and experience to inform this research project by providing examples of issues right holders face when using the enforcement framework.
2. Help in framing the questions for the call for evidence and securing real life case studies through their networks and experiences.
3. Aid the collection of real life case studies to evidence the use of IP enforcement framework
4. Support the IPO in successfully completing this project.

Outputs/ working methods

Participating in the working group is volentary and expected to be three meetings: 

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1. The first will help identify the questions for the call for evidence and discuss providing example scenarios as part of the call for evidence. There will also be a discussion about the method for collecting real life case studies through the group and any other organisations suggested.
2. A follow up meeting once the draft call for evidence has been circulated, for members to feed back any comments. The group can also update on the collection of the real life case studies, showing how right holders have used the enforcement framework to fight alleged infringements.
3. A final meeting to discuss the results of the project and discuss next steps and possibility of a discussion paper.

The formation of the working group is part of a project to review the current IP enforcement framework, which was set out in the government’s five year strategy document ''IP Enforcement 2020'. One of the main goals of this strategy is to ensure that rights holders and businesses have access to proportionate and effective mechanisms to tackle IP infringement, or resolve IP disputes.

For the impact of this study to be fair and effective, a range of voices from all perspectives on IP is needed. So, if you are able to help, please see full details here and terms of reference here. Submit your application - 250 words on your suitability - to enforcement@ipo.gov.uk by 5pm on 26 July 2019