The Government yesterday announced the introduction of a small claims service at the Patents County Court, reinforcing its ongoing commitment to modernising UK intellectual property (IP) law and encouraging small and medium sized businesses to protect their Intellectual Property.

A small claims service was 1 of 10 recommendations proposed by Professor Ian Hargreaves earlier this year (please see our newsflash: "Sweeping" reforms to Intellectual Property announced).

A press release by the UK News Distribution Service claims the new service will limit fixed costs and allow damages of up to £5,000 per case. Many currently feel that smaller businesses are put off enforcing their IP rights by the high costs of IP litigation.

The Intellectual Property Office estimates that around 150 firms will benefit from the new service every year and will provide an annual boost to the UK economy of £350,000.

Jill Headford, partner and IP lawyer at Tozers, comments:

"The introduction of the small claims service is a step in the right direction by the Government. The old system was unwieldy and expensive and was only a viable option for large businesses. However, more still needs to be done to make smaller and medium sized businesses aware of the importance of protecting their IP before the onset of litigation. I continually see examples of businesses who run into problems down the line which could have been prevented had they taken advice early on."

If you have any questions regarding intellectual property, contact Jill Headford at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .