Posted on April 26, 2024
The theme of World IP Day 2024 is IP and the Sustainable Development Goals. The SDGs are 17 interlinked goals identified by the UN to support global development. Especially close to our hearts is SDG 9, which relates to Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure because where there is Industry and Innovation, there is also IP!
The IP system also has some green features. Since 2009 the UK Intellectual Property Office has offered a “Green Channel” which allows patent applications for inventions relating to green technology to be speeded up at no cost to the applicant. The most frequent users of the system tend to be in the transport industry (e.g. automotive companies), showing that big industry is investing in green innovation. The Green Channel is an excellent and effective system, and Abel + Imray attorneys have been using it on behalf of our clients, large and small and across various sectors including the transport sector, construction sector (high tech buildings) and many others. In a recent example, we used it to speed up grant of a patent protecting an inventive anaerobic digester of food waste and then used that positive UK outcome to speed up also in Australia and New Zealand. If you have a green invention and are interested in the Green Channel, please contact us to discuss how we can help!
For those looking for a deep-dive into the world of how IP Offices are implementing the SDGs and supporting green innovation, check out this 2023 report from the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO). For those wanting a lighter read, please visit our LinkedIn page for posts during the week and below are links to articles related to this theme.
Innovate for a Green Future: A developing landscape
Innovation in renewable energy | Solar
How to accelerate the prosecution of your UK patent application using the UK IPO Green Channel
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