Businesses receive their first infringement and validity decisions via the new Patent Office Opinions service

The Patent Office has issued the first three results to businesses on questions of patent validity and infringement through its new opinions service.

Both opinions, issued 12 weeks from request, related to European patents (UK). The first case related to the validity of a patent and the second to an issue of infringement. Details of each decision can be viewed on this website.

A total of six opinions have been requested since the service was launched in the autumn, with requests coming from patent holders themselves and from third parties. These have generated a great deal of interest from other patent holders and intellectual property professionals, with significant numbers of requests for copies of the papers and with observations being filed.

The opinions service is a ground-breaking procedure which allows anyone to ask The Patent Office for an expert opinion on an issue of patent infringement or validity. It is designed to help businesses or individuals who are (or may become) involved in a dispute over patents - giving them a basis for negotiation.

More information on the new opinions service, and details of the current requests, can be found on this website.

Date of press release 02 February 2006