§ 40. Mr. Andrew MacKayasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the operation of the patents system as it affects small businesses.
§ Mr. PattiePatent procedures in the United Kingdom are the same for all applicants and patentees whether they be large multinational companies, small businesses or private inventors.
Sir Robin Nicholson's Green Paper "Intellectural Property Rights and Innovation" (Cmnd. 9117) examined whether the existing systems for protecting intellectual property, including patents, are well suited to the national interest. It paid particular attention to the needs of small but enterprising businesses and considered whether any changes in the present systems might be of help to them.
A White Paper announcing the Government's overall response to the Green Paper will be published in the near future.