On Friday the IP Office published a call for evidence for the Review, to be led by Professor Ian Hargreaves.
The review will focus on intellectual property and growth, and it has three main aims: to outline the key elements of an IP systems that would promote UK economic growth; to set out first steps towards this goal; and to identify areas with potential for improvement where further evidence is needed.
The Review will cover all IP rights, but will focus on patents and copyright.
The call for evidence states: "We would like to hear about your experience of the current IP framework and your assessment of how well it promotes these objectives."
The four subjects likely to be covered in the Review are: IP and barriers to new internet-based models; cost and complexity of enforcement; interaction of IP and competition; and cost and complexity to SMEs.
The Review is due to be finished in April next year.
Anyone considering submitting a response should bear in mind that the Review encourages "economic data and related evidence which are methodologically sound, robust and clearly sourced" as well as "evidence in the form of case-studies and individual experiences which illustrate one or more of the issues under consideration".
It also welcomes evidence relating both to how the system operates as well as possible alternatives.
The call for evidence sets out a series of questions that correspondents can address. There are nine questions concerning patents, nine relating to copyright, seven on enforcement, and two each on IP and competition and SMEs.
Responses can be submitted electronically or by post.
Responses will be posted on the Review website when they are received, unless they are marked as confidential.
