Statement from Stephen Tulip, UK Country Manager at ACT | The App Association on the Intellectual Property Office (IPO)’s Standard Essential Patents (SEP): 2024 forward look, published today.
‘With this announcement, the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) has confirmed that small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are especially disadvantaged by the current standard-essential patent (SEP) licensing ecosystem.
‘It is deeply concerning that the IPO has chosen not to seek opinions on the application of injunctions in SEP disputes. For most SMEs, the prospect of facing an injunction poses a fundamental threat to their business and should be considered a measure of last resort, not a negotiation tactic to coerce SMEs into agreeing to pay inflated rates for SEP licenses.
‘It is crucial that the next stage of the IPO’s process delivers genuine change that increases transparency and prevents abusive licensing practices by SEP owners.
‘The UK economy will be front and centre during the upcoming general election campaign, and it is dependent on the SMEs that make up 99 per cent of our businesses.
‘By establishing a truly fair SEP licensing ecosystem, the next UK Government can unleash the potential of our tech sector by taking the global lead and confirming the UK’s status as the home for innovative tech SMEs.
‘The App Association will continue to engage in the policy discussions and work with all stakeholders, including the IPO, while advocating for fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory licensing for SMEs to the patented technologies that are essential to implement standards’.
About ACT | The App Association: The App Association is a global trade association for small and medium-sized technology companies. Our members are entrepreneurs, innovators, and independent developers within the global app ecosystem that engage with verticals across every industry. We work with and for our members to promote a policy environment that rewards and inspires innovation while providing resources that help them raise capital, create jobs, and continue to build incredible technology.