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DLA Piper on Hargreaves’ Review of UK’s IP Policy

Back in November 2010, the Prime Minister commissioned a review of Britain’s intellectual property laws and their effect on economic growth.  Ian Hargreaves’ Review of UK’s IP policy,released last month, makes 10 recommendations covering patent, copyright and policy-making process.  Our friends at DLA Piper sent in this article discussing Hargreaves’ findings.

There was an audible buzz in the IP community [when] the findings of the latest UK IP policy review, led by Ian Hargreaves, were published in the report: ‘Digital Opportunity: A Review of Intellectual Property and Growth‘.

The exam question

The review was first announced by the UK government on 11 November 2010 (see our previous alert), following a speech made by the Prime Minister in which he set out his ‘vision’ for London’s East End to become a pre-eminent ‘Silicon Valley’-style technology centre. Interpreting Mr Cameron’s ‘exam question’ as being: ‘Could it be true that laws designed more than three centuries ago with the express purpose of creating economic incentives for innovation by protecting creators’ rights are today obstructing innovation and economic growth?’, Hargreaves’ answer is a firm yes. (more…)