New faster online patent renewal service rolled out

Lord Younger, Minister for Intellectual Property (IP), said: “More than 400,000 patents are renewed every year and more than a quarter of paper submissions have errors. A renewal request can be completed using the new service in under 4 minutes saving valuable time and money for both IP specialists and businesses.

The IPO is committed to delivering high quality services and improving the experience of its customers, and this latest development is part of a programme to transform all of its digital services.

Development of the new service began in August 2013 and through various testing phases, customers have so far renewed more than 2,500 patents to date.

This new service is part of a reform programme to simplify and improve customers’ experience. People can already apply online for patents and trade marks. They can also renew trade marks online, but today’s launch is another step forward in the IPO’s digital services transformation.

Our experts at Royds can provide comprehensive advice on many areas of intellectual property law including the new regulations surrounding the patent renewal service. For more information please visit or contact John North.