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Patents

Patents protect the features and process that make things work. A patent can only be granted for something that is new and inventive. A patent has to be renewed every year but can last for up to 20 years.

Ten years of the IPO in Southeast Asia

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Design, International, Patents, Trade marks

This year marks 10 years of the IPO’s attaché network in Southeast Asia (SE Asia). We spoke to Rachael Wood, IPO Senior Advisor for Business and International Policy in SE Asia, to learn how the team has been supporting UK businesses trading in the region since our SE Asia IP relationship began.

Returning to a STEM Career

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Inclusion and diversity, Patents, Recruitment, Return to a STEM career, STEM career

As an organisation with flexible working and family-friendly policies, The Intellectual Property Office’s (IPO)’s ‘returners to STEM’ programme is an initiative it is particularly proud of. As the applications portal reopens for 2023, we hear from people who have already taken up the opportunity to take a first step back on the STEM career ladder after a break.

Dyslexia – a different way of thinking

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Environment, Inclusion and diversity, Innovation, IPO, Patents, Recruitment, STEM career
In our Intellectual property office blog, https://ipo.blog.gov.uk/ we hear from a colleague with dyslexia, who outlines how they can make a positive difference at work through their different way of thinking. Our blog is illustrated by a sea crowded with paper boats, one of which is being lifted up into blue skies by a beautiful red hot air balloon. The idea is that this symbolises the new way of thinking rising up from the norm - a metaphor for new and different thinking.

The IPO has recently been proud to achieve the British Dyslexia Association SMART award, in recognition of good practice when supporting the needs of dyslexic and neuro-diverse individuals.  Here we take a look at how colleagues with dyslexia are able to contribute positively to life and work at the IPO through their 'different way of thinking'. 

One IPO Transformation: first glimpse of our simplified search service

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Design, Digital, Innovation, IPO, Patents, Trade marks, Transformation, User research
Decorative image to represent the transformation project including a clock, tools, the IPO office, people giving feedback

With less than one year until we start piloting the ‘One IPO’ service for patents customers, Lucy Mills, Project Lead, tells us about the new search service, with new tools to search and analyse IP.