The UK government has opened a public consultation on proposals to introduce fast-track processing services for patent and trade mark applications.
The review is based on proposals made in the UK’s Gowers review of IP.
The proposals would provide new tools for businesses, both large and small, setting up fast track routes to the grant of a patent or the registration of a trade mark. The fast-track processing will be available as of right upon payment of a fee of £400 to £600.
No form of accelerated examination currently exists for trade mark applications. The consultation proposes a new system which will enable applicants to request examination within 10 business days as opposed to the 4-6 week time a standard application will take. A premium fee of £300 is proposed for a fast track application.
The Gowers review of intellectual property was published on 6 December 2006
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