Federation of Small Businesses calls for stronger UK IP measures
Small businesses in the UK are struggling to prevent intellectual property infringements and need to be given more guidance on what help is available, a campaign group has claimed.
The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) said that some businesses do not have the financial resources to prevent IP infringement.
According to the FSB, a quarter of the 1,080 businesses that it surveyed said they had suffered “some sort” of violation of IP rights within the last five years.
The most common forms of infringement are copying a product, using a copyrighted work on a website, and using a trademark, the FSB said.
But around a third of firms that suffered IP violations took no action against perpetrators, it added.
Among the reasons given included the costs involved, a general lack of resources and a lack of awareness of appropriate routes, the FSB said.
The FSB said that although initiatives such as the Intellectual Property Enterprise Court and the UK Intellectual Property Office’s mediation service were “positive”, there is a need for continued efforts to improve “signposting and simplification” of the support available.
John Allan, chair of the FSB, said: “Left unchecked, theft and infringement of ideas, patents and brands costs small businesses and diminishes their appetite to invest in their business, ultimately hampering the UK’s long-term economic growth.
“When infringement does occur, redress should be simple, swift and easy to obtain.”
Alan Johnson, partner at law firm Bristows in London, told WIPR that the IPEC small claims track is “new and is proving to be a great success”.
“It is designed for small businesses, and they should have no fears about using it. If they feel that they cannot use the system without help, however, they need to make sure they go to the right professional advisers”.
Johnson said that insurance policies are available which enable businesses to take action against infringers of their IP rights, but that the “take up among small businesses is very poor despite the fact that they are most in need of this type of protection”.
“They insure their premises, stock, etc, but not their IP which is often just as valuable,” he added.
