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Written question asked by Lord Clement-Jones (Liberal Democrat) on Thursday, 16 April 2026, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 30 April 2026. It was answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra (Labour) on Tuesday, 28 April 2026 on behalf of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.

Intellectual Property Office: Registration

Question

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to review the Intellectual Property Office’s design registration fee structure to lower the cost for individual designers and small businesses filing single-design applications; and what assessment they have made of the impact on the overall size and usability of the register of the current discounts for bulk electronic filings.

Answer

Fees are reviewed regularly to ensure the UK intellectual property framework remains accessible. The recent increase in statutory fees was a general uplift which did not alter the structure of designs fees.

The outcome of the recent consultation on changes to the UK designs framework may require a re-examination of the fee structure for designs, however the government is aware that users of the UK designs system value the low-cost of registering designs compared to other jurisdictions.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
HL16446
Session
2024-26
Subjects
Arts Fees and charges Registration Small businesses Intellectual Property Office
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk