Last week’s poll: patents and innovation
Is the current system of obtaining a patent a help or a hindrance to innovation?
British innovators filed 5,736 patent applications at the EPO in 2018 and in 2017 22,072 applications were filed with the IPO and PCT.
Successful applications afford a license to the inventor, which then protects the idea from being copied for a period of time, but the practise has its detractors and patent disputes can take years to resolve.
EPO report shows why the future is patent pending
As noted last week, some believe that the patent system is as much a brake on innovation as an incentive for inventors whilst others see their first successful application as a key moment in developing their business.
Is the patent system fit for purpose, or does it need reforming? According to 49 per cent of poll respondents, the basic concepts are sound, but the practical aspects need revision, followed by 38 per cent who think the system needs wholesale revision. The remaining 14 per cent agreed that the system is fine as it is.
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