Asked by: Virendra Sharma (Labour - Ealing, Southall)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if she will make it her policy that the UK-India free trade agreement does not increase the cost of medicines for (a) the UK, (b) India and (c) other low and middle income countries.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
In negotiations with India, the UK’s approach to intellectual property (IP) is to strike a balance between rewarding research and innovation, which can benefit all countries, whilst reflecting wider public interests such as ensuring access to medicines. We will not agree to any provisions that would increase the cost of medicines for our National Health Service. The NHS, its services, and the cost of medicines are not on the table.
In addition to our work on the FTA, we remain committed to the Doha Declaration on the TRIPS Agreement and Public Health, and its agreed flexibilities that support access to medicines.
Asked by: Virendra Sharma (Labour - Ealing, Southall)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether the Government has made an assessment of the impact of pre-grant oppositions in India on access to medicine.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The UK’s approach to intellectual property (IP) with all partners is to strike a balance between rewarding research and innovation, which can benefit all countries, whilst reflecting wider public interests such as ensuring access to medicines.
We do not comment on specifics of live negotiations.
Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne Central)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether her Department has made a recent estimate of the level of IP infringement being undertaken by developers of artificial intelligence.
Answered by Paul Scully
There have been no recent estimates of the level of intellectual property infringement undertaken by developers of artificial intelligence (AI), but the government is keeping abreast of developments.
The Intellectual Property Office is due to publish independent research into ‘Artificial Intelligence and Enforcement: Opportunities and Challenges’. This report outlines how AI can be used to track and trace Intellectual Property Right (IPR) infringing goods, as well as assessing resulting money flows and the potential use of AI by those infringing IPR.
Asked by: Andrew Western (Labour - Stretford and Urmston)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, when the most recent meetings of her Department's (a) thematic working groups and (b) strategic trade advisory group took place; and when the next meetings of these groups are expected to take place.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The most recent meeting of the Strategic Trade Advisory Group was 13 June 2022.
The most recent meeting dates of the Thematic Working Groups are listed below.
29/06/2022 – Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises
30/06/2022 – Trade for Development
21/07/2022 – Customs
28/07/2022 – Procurement
08/09/2022 – Intellectual Property
13/10/2022 – Sustainability
17/01/2023 – Technical Barriers to Trade
18/01/2023 – Implementation and Market Access
26/01/2023 – Cross-Cutting Services
21/04/2023 – Financial Services (led by HMT)
The Department for Business and Trade is reforming its approach to external engagement, to meets the needs of industry and match the priorities of the new Department. A new approach will be set out in due course, but in the meantime the Department continues to engage with a full range of interested parties on key issues.
Asked by: Sarah Olney (Liberal Democrat - Richmond Park)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of legislation to (a) support small businesses when trading online and (b) protect small businesses from infringement of their intellectual property rights.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Business Protection from Misleading Marketing Regulations 2008 protects businesses from misleading advertising by other businesses, and are enforced by Trading Standards.
The Government recently introduced the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill to establish a new pro-competition regime that will force the most powerful tech firms to treat businesses in the UK fairly – including small businesses.
The options available to a business which believes its intellectual property (IP) is being infringed online depend on the type of IP, where it is registered and where the alleged infringement is taking place.
Asked by: Ben Everitt (Conservative - Milton Keynes North)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of strengthening copyright provisions to help prevent the work of artists, performers and writers being copied and used on electronic devices without the permission of or remuneration to its creator.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
With a few limited exceptions, it is a copyright infringement to copy and use creative works on electronic devices without the copyright owner’s permission. A range of civil, and in some cases criminal, remedies are available where an infringement has taken place. Many rightsholders take additional measures against infringement by applying technological protection measures to their works.
The Government takes copyright infringement seriously and the Intellectual Property Office supports activities to help copyright owners enforce their rights. These include awareness raising, coordinating industry action, and direct enforcement in conjunction with the police.
We have no current plans to review copyright protection in this area.
Asked by: Hywel Williams (Plaid Cymru - Arfon)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what the average salary for senior patent examiners employed by the UK Intellectual Property Office was in (a) 2010 and (b) 2022; and what the change in value of the 2022 salary was in real terms compared with the 2010 salary.
Answered by George Freeman
The IPO no longer holds average salary data for 2010. However, we have historic information on maximum salaries for the Senior Patent Examiner role and have provided a comparison based on these figures.
Grade | Max 2009/10 | Max 2021/22 | RPI adjusted 2009/10 Max* | Real terms change (%) |
Senior Patent Examiner (C2) | £53,478 | £59,274 | £80,691 | -36% |
* Adjusted for RPI: All items percentage change August 2009 to March 2022
Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne Central)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps she is taking to ensure the legitimacy of Trade Mark Applications by made by foreign based applicants to the UK Intellectual Property Office.
Answered by George Freeman
The Intellectual Property Office carries out formality checks on all applications, whether domestic or foreign based. They also conduct robust examination of all Trade Mark applications to ensure each Trade Mark meets the requirements under UK law before it is accepted.
Under UK Trade Mark law, third parties can also challenge Trade Mark applications and registrations on various grounds if they believe there are issues.
Asked by: Hywel Williams (Plaid Cymru - Arfon)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what recent progress has been made on negotiations on Intellectual Property Office staff pay.
Answered by George Freeman
Formal pay negotiations with Intellectual Property Office Trades Unions concluded in December 2022. The 2022/23 pay award for IPO staff was implemented in January 2023.
Asked by: Sarah Olney (Liberal Democrat - Richmond Park)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, which Minister has responsibility for the Intellectual Property Office.
Answered by George Freeman
The Department for Science, Technology and Innovation is responsible for The Intellectual Property Office and the relevant minister is Viscount Camrose.
The Department and the Intellectual Property Office are both committed to supporting innovators as the UK looks to embrace the science and innovation that is at the heart of our economic plan. Intellectual property (IP) plays a key role in how businesses compete, at home and in world markets. Getting the IP framework right is central to the UK’s ability to generate growth and jobs.