Peer-to-Patent: IPO and IPKat move fast

About one minute ago, the United Kingdom's Intellectual Property Office (IPO) finally went public on the worst-kept secret since Ryan Giggs' alleged liaison with Imogen Thomas brought down Twitter.  Yes, the IPO is finally doing the honourable thing and launching its Peer-to-Patent (P2P) experiment.  According to the recently embargoed media release,

" ...  Peer to Patent is a review website which allows experts from the scientific and technology community to view and comment on patent applications. During the six month pilot up to 200 applications in the computing field will be gradually uploaded for review on the [P2P] website. These will include a range of inventions from computer mice to complex processor operations [Not much of a range, grumbles Merpel, if they're all to do with computers. What about genetically modified mice for use in the manufacture of catfood ...?]. 

Today [At one minute past midnight? The Kat marvels at the diligence of his IPO friends. Merpel hopes they're not being paid extra for working so late, because she isn't], the first group of applications have been uploaded to the Peer to Patent website (http://www.peertopatent.org.uk/) and are now open for review by registered users for three months. Following this, the system will create a summary of the comments which will be sent to a Patent Examiner at the Intellectual Property Office (IPO). Examiners will then consider these as part of the patent review process. 

Speaking about the launch in the UK today, Baroness Wilcox [Minister for Intellectual Property and another night-worker, it seems] said:  

Bed rock

“Patent applications granted after using the Peer to Patent website review will be potentially stronger, giving businesses better protection to grow their innovative ideas. This will give the IPO access to a wider body of knowledge when deciding whether a patent should be granted. The pilot will give experts the opportunity to comment on patent applications and share their vital expertise before patents are granted. It will also mean that inventions already known in the wider community will be filtered out more readily. Peer to Patent is a step forward in supporting growth by reinforcing the patent bedrock on which innovative businesses thrive” [The IPKat likes the bit about reinforcing the patent bedrock and proposes to purr-loin it some time.  Merpel disagrees: the bedrock can't be much use if it needs reinforcement]. ....".

The IPKat is tremendously excited by this development, which he is sure will lead to greater things.  Merpel's a bit anxious though. On clicking through to the P2P site a short while before midnight, she couldn't help thinking that it looked just a wee bit, well, American (not that there's anything wrong with that).  She was however surprised to see this British site bearing such unexpected add-ons as a policy statement regarding violations of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act and a Code of Conduct which states:

"Thank you for participating in this historic experiment to submit information to the United States Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO) that is relevant to the determination of patentability".

Meanwhile, closer to home and unashamedly parochial, the IPKat's own Peer-to-Patent seminar next Monday afternoon, 6 June, now has 47 good souls registered.  This little event will be free, fun and informative -- and there's still time to register if you don't take up too much room.  No need to bring a US passport: just email the IPKat here using the subject line PeerPat, and tell him you're coming.