UKIPO attachés have helped protect ‘£440m’ of IP assets

British intellectual property attachés working abroad have helped to protect £440 million ($618 million) worth of IP assets, according to data from the UK Intellectual Property Office (IPO).

British businesses operating in emerging economies benefit from attachés advising them on how to protect and enforce their IP rights. The IPO’s attachés assist 14,000 businesses  across China, Brazil, Southeast Asia and India.

Notable achievements include working with Alibaba on removing an estimated £8 million worth of counterfeit goods from its online platform and securing geographical indication status for Scotch whisky in Brazil.

The figure was revealed today, March 2, in a presentation by UK IP minister Baroness Neville-Rolfe to the Confederation of British Industry (CBI).

“Our IP attachés represent great value for money. They support British businesses operating overseas and have a major impact on the improvement of the global IP system,” said Neville-Rolfe.

“The UK is setting an example to the rest to the world and helping to build universal respect for IP rights. The attachés are having a significant influence on British trade and protecting IP rights worth millions of pounds to the UK economy,” she added.

Tom Thackray, CBI acting competitive markets director, said that increasing awareness of IP rights is “crucial” to businesses working internationally.