Limitations of Review Scope
The Government conducted a Review of Government Information in 2000 (Cross Cutting Review of the Knowledge Economy – Review of Government Information, July 2000), as part of the Cross-cutting Review of the Knowledge Economy, and has since implemented the EU Directive on the Re-use of Public Sector Information (EU Directive 2003/98/EC on the Re-use of Public Sector Information, 17 November 2003 (PDF)) through the Re-use of Public Sector Information Regulations 2005 (The Re-use of Public Sector Information Regulations 2005). We wish to make clear that Crown Copyright, Parliamentary Copyright, and the regulations governing Public Sector Information are therefore specifically outside the scope of the Gowers Review. However, it is likely that the Review will have relevance to public sector organisations, for example through its examination of copyright more generally, and of how IP is licensed and exchanged.
The Patent Office is currently consulting on two specific intellectual property issues: the inventive step requirement in UK patent law and practice; and the way UK trade mark applications are examined on the basis of their potential conflict with earlier trade marks. While we would encourage interested parties to participate in these consultations via the Patent Office website – www.patent.gov.uk – we wish to make clear that issues related to the inventive step and the registration of Trade Marks are not outside the scope of the Review.