§ Mr. OatenTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many and what type of intellectual property rights are owned by the Government. [187101]
§ Mr. IngramI have been asked to reply.
Intellectual property rights in the UK comprise:
statutory rights which are registered and granted through the Patent Office, comprising patents, registered trade marks, registered designs, plant breeders rights;statutory, but unregistered rights, such as copyright and unregistered design rights.In addition common law rights such as those relating to confidential information, trade secrets, and unregistered trademarks, and passing-off are often included within the wider definition of intellectual property.
Government Departments currently hold just over 1,200 live patents, 600 live trademarks and 20 live registered designs around the world. There is no record of any plant breeders rights.
The number of patents held has reduced considerably in recent times as a result of the establishment of QinetiQ Ltd. as a separate company. A substantial part of the Ministry of Defence's patent portfolio was vested in QinetiQ at its foundation.
The figures given above exclude patents held by various national health bodies.
No central records are held for copyright or unregistered designs, nor of common law rights. But all works (including computer software) made by Government servants are Crown Copyright, and the number of copyright materials held by Government Departments is, in consequence, immense.