The Intellectual Property Office (IPO) is inviting businesses to share their views on how intellectual property (IP) helps them scale and grow.
In a modern global economy, innovation, creativity, design, and brand recognition are increasingly important to business success. All these elements are underpinned by IP rights, such as copyright, trademarks, patents, and designs.
The IPO wants to support businesses to manage their IP rights effectively. It is conducting a review of UK's IP-backed finance ecosystem and IP insurance landscape. The new survey forms part of this review.
The survey covers a broad range of topics. Responses will help the IPO:
- better understand how businesses may raise external finance - including leveraging their IP assets to secure funding;
- explore awareness, perception and use of IP litigation insurance products among businesses; and
- better understand how to support businesses most effectively in managing their IP assets. The IPO wants to hear from businesses of all sizes, and from a wide range of sectors, which hold IP - whether an individual entrepreneur, start-up, established firm, or large corporate. The survey closes on 2 February 2024. See: [IP and Business Growth Survey - Intellectual Property Office - Citizen Space](https://ipoconsultations.citizenspace.com/ipo/ip-and-business-growth-survey/#IPandBSWeb)
From October 2026, companies will have to comply with new rules on trade unions introduced as part of the Employment Rights Act.
The tax rules on Benefits in Kind (BIKs) are changing. From 6 April 2027, Phase 1 of HMRC’s ‘Mandatory payrolling of Benefits in Kind and expenses’ comes into force. Phase 1 will apply only company cars, car fuel, vans, van fuel and medical benefits.