London Search Facility of UK Patent Office moves to the British Library
31 August 2005 :: Posted by Lawrence Christensen
Search facilities to boost business and innovation hub.
On Monday 5 September, the British Library will become the UK’s premier resource for information on patents, innovation and intellectual property as the search facility of the UK Patent Office moves into the Library’s flagship building at St Pancras.
The move brings together the Patent Office’s London search room and the resources of the British Library’s Business & Intellectual Property Centre. The Centre already provides free access to the world’s largest collection of market research reports and a comprehensive range of online subscription databases – by incorporating the resources of the Patent Office, it will offer researchers, SMEs and entrepreneurs an unrivalled one-stop-shop for the latest information on patents, markets, marketing and business.
SMEs, entrepreneurs and innovators will be able to conduct database searches on patents and designs. Users will have access to unique trademark search files that are unavailable on the internet and can only be accessed at either the Business & Intellectual Property Centre or the Patent Office in Newport. These facilities are supplemented at St Pancras by the world’s most comprehensive collection of patent specifications and literature on patents, trademarks, designs and copyright.
Combined with the Business & Intellectual Property Centre’s market research collections, these resources offer aspiring entrepreneurs and innovators everything they need from the initial development of a product or service to the stage of taking their ideas to market.
The British Library has recently expanded its range of free and priced services for entrepreneurs. Last month the Library launched a package of services tailored for business start-ups, including options for novelty searches, market reports and business listings. Some 25,000 researchers and business people used the Business & Intellectual Property Centre since it was launched last year and the Centre was recently awarded £1 million by the London Development Agency to fund its transformation from a successful pilot project to a permanent national resource.
Lynne Brindley, Chief Executive of the British Library, said: ”The British Library and the Patent Office enjoy a long history of close cooperation and share a common aim of supporting innovation. We are confident that the Patent Office move will deliver critical support during the start up phase to small businesses and entrepreneurs in London and the UK.”
Ron Marchant, Chief Executive of the Patent Office, added: “I welcome wholeheartedly this partnership with the British Library. We have created a single source of information and advice which will be of benefit to business. The Patent Office will provide close support to the library in this.”
For further information please contact: Ben Sanderson at the British Library Press Office (telephone +44 (0)1937 546126, email: ben.sanderson@bl.uk) or Lawrence Christensen (telephone +44 (0)20 7412 7114, email: lawrence.christensen@bl.uk).
Notes for editors
- The British Library - is the national library of the United Kingdom. It provides world class information services to the academic, business, research and scientific communities and offers unparalleled access to the world’s largest and most comprehensive research collection. Further information is available on the Library’s website, which currently records almost 2 million 'hits' or visits per month. To use our Reading Rooms, including the Business & Intellectual Property Centre you will need to apply for a reader's pass – for further details, please visit: http://www.bl.uk/services/reading/admissions.html.
- Patent Office – The Patent Office is an Executive Agency of DTI and is responsible for the national framework of Intellectual Property rights, comprising patents, designs, trade marks and copyright. We manage an intellectual property system that stimulates innovation and creativity, balances the needs of consumers and users, promotes strong and competitive markets and is the foundation of the knowledge based economy. The DTI drives our ambition of “prosperity for all” by working to create the best environment for business success in the UK. We help people and companies become more productive by promoting enterprise, innovation and creativity. We champion UK business at home and abroad. We invest heavily in world-class science and technology. We protect the rights of working people and consumers. And we stand up for fair and open markets in the UK, Europe and the world.
- Business & Intellectual Property Centre Testimonials.
Imtaz Khaliq, London’s first female bespoke tailor - one of the UKs leading lights in the new couture tailoring movement and an avid user of the Library's Business & Intellectual Property Centre resources said: “The Business & Intellectual Property Centre provided me with on-site access to a treasure trove of a research collection and offers users from the creative industries an intoxicating mix of inspiration and information under one roof.”
“As a businessman I know the importance of easy access to accurate and up-to-date information that can be used by SMEs to develop a business plan and make informed business decisions. The growth of Cobra Beer has demonstrated that SMEs are a major driving force in the economy. The British Library's Business & Intellectual Property Centre is an excellent example of an initiative that will enable fledgling businesses to grow and prosper and I hope will quickly become the first place to visit for budding entrepreneurs.”
Karan Bilimoria CBE, DL Founder and Chief Executive of Cobra Beer Ltd.
Chairman of SME (Small and Medium Size Enterprise) Board, National Employment Panel, National Champion of the National Council for Graduate Entrepreneurship.