UK IP minister moves on but questions remain over AI comments

Managing IP is part of Legal Benchmarking Limited, 1-2 Paris Gardens, London, SE1 8ND

Copyright © Legal Benchmarking Limited and its affiliated companies 2025

Accessibility | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Modern Slavery Statement

UK IP minister moves on but questions remain over AI comments

GeorgeFreeman.jpg

George Freeman claimed he had left office when now-binned AI proposals were first made, despite his resignation actually coming more than a week later

UK intellectual property minister George Freeman has been moved to a newly created Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, it was confirmed today, February 7, amid confusion over comments he made in Parliament last week.

The new department is expected to cover IP, though the exact nature of the brief had not been confirmed at the time of publication. Michelle Donelan will head the department as secretary of state while Freeman will continue in a junior ministerial position.

Meanwhile, Freeman has failed to clarify remarks he made in parliament on Wednesday, February 1, when the government announced it would not be pursuing part of the UKIPO’s artificial intelligence proposals.

Freeman claimed he was not in office when the now-dropped policy for a copyright exemption for text and data mining (TDM) purposes was published.

The Mid Norfolk member of Parliament was minister for IP until his resignation from Boris Johnson’s government on July 7 2022. But the UKIPO actually first published its TDM proposals more than a week earlier on June 28.

Freeman, who was subsequently reinstated as IP minister in October, told the House of Commons last Wednesday that the policy would not go ahead due to strong opposition from the creative industries.

He also appeared to criticise the process that led to the proposal being put forward.

“I hasten to say that they were published after I left government, and it was a period of some turmoil. One of the lessons from this is to try not to legislate in periods of political turmoil,” he added.

Managing IP contacted both Freeman’s parliamentary office and the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) for clarification on the remarks but has yet to receive a response.

Freeman was a minister at BEIS until the cabinet reshuffle this morning.

more from across site and SHARED ros bottom lb

More from across our site

A ruling on confidentiality by the the England and Wales Court of Appeal and an intervention from the US government in the InterDigital v Disney litigation were also among top talking points
Moore & Van Allen hires former Teva counsel Larry Rickles to help expand the firm’s life sciences capabilities
Canadian law firms should avoid ‘tunnel vision’ as exclusive survey reveals client dissatisfaction with risk management advice and value-added services
In major recent developments, the CoA ruled on director liability for patent infringement, and Nokia targeted Paramount at the UPC and in Germany
Niri Shan, the newly appointed head of IP for UK, Ireland and the Middle East, explains why the firm’s international setup has brought UPC success, and addresses German partner departures
Vlad Stanese joins our ‘Five minutes with’ series to discuss potentially precedent-setting trademark and copyright cases and his love for aviation
Heath Hoglund, president of Via LA, discusses how it sets royalty rates and its plans to build on growth in China
Stobbs stands accused of interfering with the administration of justice after Brandsmiths’ client was subjected to an interim injunction for unjustified threats
The firm, known for its prosecution expertise, discusses its plans following the appointment of a UK-based patent litigation head and two new partners
Ed White at Clarivate provides an exclusive insight into the innovation power clusters reshaping Europe and the Middle East’s IP landscape, and why quality is the new currency of invention
Gift this article