The Intellectual Property Office (IPO) has launched a consultation to reform its design protection system, aiming to modernise the framework and support the £100bn design sector. The initiative seeks input from a wide range of stakeholders including independent designers, luxury brands, tech firms and legal professionals to address issues such as overlapping rights, design theft and post-Brexit complexities. Proposed reforms include streamlining processes, improving access to justice for small businesses and updating the system to accommodate digital innovations like CAD files and AI-generated designs. The consultation ends on 27 November 2025.

The Intellectual Property Office (IPO) has launched a national consumer awareness campaign titled 'Fake Toys: Real Harms' to highlight safety risks posed by counterfeit toys. Enforcement agencies have seized 259,000 counterfeit toys worth £3.5m at UK borders in 2025, with three in four failing basic safety checks. The seized items included Labubu dolls presenting choking hazards and dangerous chemical content, action figures containing toxic paint, and electronic toys with loose battery components. The campaign aims to address consumer behaviour, as research indicates that while 92% of consumers know about counterfeit products, only 27% consider safety standards when purchasing, with 70% prioritising price over safety. The initiative provides guidance on identifying counterfeit toys through price verification, seller authentication, safety mark inspection, and reporting procedures for suspected counterfeits to Trading Standards and online marketplaces.

The Intellectual Property Office (IPO) and Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU) have announced the launch of a new online intelligence submission system for IP crime, effective 11 August 2025. The system replaces PIPCU's previous referral form with an IPO webform that channels submissions directly to the IPO's Intelligence Gateway team. The Gateway team, staffed by College of Policing trained intelligence officers, will assess and prioritise submissions for potential law enforcement action. The system aims to coordinate IP crime intelligence nationally while enabling collaboration between the IPO, PIPCU, Trading Standards and other law enforcement agencies. Members of the public are directed to continue reporting suspected counterfeit goods to local Trading Standards or Crimestoppers.

The Intellectual Property Office (IPO) has launched a suite of new digital services enabling customers to apply for, manage and renew UK patents in one place. The new platform includes core patents services, notably the ‘Manage intellectual property’ service, which allows users to create a digital IP account as a gateway to services, enabling them to search and view the status of UK patents, make changes via digital self-service and renew patents digitally. The IPO has also introduced the ‘Apply for a patent’ service, a digital patent application service that allows users to complete applications in any order, save drafts, collaborate with colleagues, view application details and updates, and update applications at any time through their account.

The Intellectual Property Office (IPO) has launched a survey to gather views on priorities for protecting designs in the UK. The survey targets designers, design businesses, and legal professionals to inform future consultation proposals. The call for evidence is open until 12:01am on 1 April 2025.

Law360, London: Recent moves by the UK Intellectual Property Office (IPO) to reduce its backlog might not be enough for its tribunals to catch up on the Brexit-driven deluge, and run the risk of pushing sides to a dispute to other venues for trade mark cases, experts say.

The Intellectual Property Office (IPO) has provided an update on the launch of the One IPO Patents Service, confirming that it is working towards a launch date of 31 March 2026. The IPO notes that the service will expand access beyond the current limited group of customers, with additional firms invited to create accounts. Ahead of launch, the IPO plans to introduce further updates, publish demonstration videos and host training sessions. It is also encouraging users to adopt the new service before European Patent Office eOLF filing ends on 1 April 2026. The IPO notes ongoing patent publication delays but expects to return to full capacity by the end of March 2026.

The Intellectual Property Office (IPO) has published statutory guidance on Tribunal Practice Notice 1/2024: Restricting specifications of applications and registrations subject to Tribunal proceedings, on 17 July 2024. There has been an increase in the amount of unacceptable TM21Bs filed during trade mark opposition proceedings, flagged by the Registrar. As a result, time and costs are seeing an increase for both the parties and the Tribunal, as multiple TM21Bs are having to be filed prior to an acceptable restriction being agreed. This notice aims to address this issue by highlighting the Tribunal’s key considerations when assessing whether to accept proposed specification restrictions (and Form TM21B is used when the right holder wishes to amend or remove goods and services from a trade mark application).

The Intellectual Property Office (IPO) has published its annual report on how its activities have contributed to the promotion of innovation and economic growth in the UK for 2023–24. This is in accordance with its statutory duty under section 21 of the Intellectual Property Act 2014. The report, which takes a retrospective look at the IPO’s activity for 2023–24, highlights the IPO’s role in supporting the UK’s innovation ecosystem and its economic growth. According to the report, the IPO aims to implement a common digital system that uses cutting edge technology to deliver significant operational efficiencies for the IPO and customers by 2026. The digital system will give customers the opportunity to protect and manage their UK IP portfolio via the system.

The Intellectual Property Office (IPO) has published its 2025–26 Corporate Plan, detailing its strategic priorities and key activities for the second year of its 2024–27 strategy. The plan reinforces the IPO’s mission to help grow the UK economy by fostering innovation and creativity through a robust intellectual property (IP) system. The plan builds on the IPO’s transformation journey and sets out how it will continue to modernise services, support businesses and strengthen the UK’s position as a global leader in IP.

The Intellectual Property Office (IPO) has published the 2025–26 innovation and growth report. The annual report sets out how the IPO’s work supported innovation and economic growth during 2025–26, including how its activities encouraged investment in innovation and growth.

The Intellectual Property Office (IPO) has published its 2026–27 Corporate Plan, outlining its main activities and priorities for the third and final year of its ‘Intellectual Property (IP) for a Creative and Innovative UK 2024 to 2027’ strategy. The plan focuses on digital transformation, strengthening the UK IP framework, supporting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), organisational development and the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) to improve operational efficiency and customer experience.