Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what estimate he has made of the potential impact of removing legislation that requires the Intellectual Property Office to seal patents with wax on (a) money and (b) time savings.

Legislation requires that certified office copies, which verify the content of patent applications, are provided with a physical seal but the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) does not use wax. The IPO is exploring measures to modernise its services, this includes giving users the option of choosing between digital and paper certified copies. A consultation on this has revealed that the majority of users support the introduction of digital certified office copies alongside paper, with some highlighting that this would make processes more efficient, quicker and cheaper. Legislation to remove the requirement would be accompanied by an impact assessment in which these matters would be addressed.