The following is Vivien’s response
The point is that the UK is well aware of the importance of
intellectual property rights to business and ultimately to a
healthy economy. Admirable as World Intellectual Property Day
is, it doesn't take one day in the year for the UK to have to
demonstrate this, as can be seen from a number of recent measures
which it has carried out.
One of these is the Government Review of intellectual property
rights in the UK which was launched by Chancellor Gordon Brown
early this year and is in its final stages. The review has been
headed-up by the former editor of the Financial Times, Andrew
Gower, whose remit has been to consider whether the current law is
suitable for the digital age.
As part of his review Gower has been considering issues such as
how the Government administers the awarding of intellectual
property, whether copyright laws are too complex and expensive for
businesses to navigate, whether intellectual property technically
and legally works in the digital environment, and whether the
current terms of protection for sound recordings are
appropriate.
The review demonstrates that the Government is alive to the
issues which are arising as a result of rapid technological
advancements, and how our already well established and developed
intellectual property regime can be adapted to address such
issues.
Another example of the importance which the Government attaches
to intellectual property is the Chancellor's decision in this
year's budget to extend research and development tax relief to
companies of up to 500 employees (not just small and medium-sized
businesses).
This recent step by the Government (together with other steps
such as designating Birmingham, Bristol, and Nottingham,
Manchester, York and Newcastle as science cities) reflects a
growing recognition of the importance of R&D and the skilled
engineering and technology market in which it features, in an
economy which can no longer rely on the traditional industries
which underpinned it, such as the manufacturing industry (as the
recent closure of the Peugeot car assembly plant in the West
Midlands shows only too well).
And central to the encouragement and development of R&D is
the ability for businesses to rely on intellectual property rights
to protect proprietary R&D and to generate revenues from
it.
If that’s not a good advertisement for Word Intellectual
Property Day then I'm not sure what would be.
