Dear Minister

Good to have another “MacDonald” in the world of IP! Many congratulations in your new role.

With an engineering background you will understand only too well the role that design plays in the advancement of new innovative solutions to today’s challenges.

Design is the golden thread that runs through the creative industries and underpins all eight of the Government’s growth objectives. Contributing £100 billion to UK GVA and supporting 1.97 million people in design and design-skilled roles, it is a cornerstone of the UK’s economy.

Championing Uk design, the Design Council reminds us that from everyday objects to complex systems, everything not made by mother-nature has been designed.

In my letter to the Prime Minister, I shared that David and Goliath copying is rife and designers need:

• Stronger enforcement against commercial copying – UK has good legal rights on paper, but many SMEs simply cannot afford to enforce them and making the intentional theft of an unregistered design a crime in line with copyright, is a priority to add real deterrence.
• Online marketplaces to be more accountable – Much copying now occurs online with little hope of redress.
• Modernisation of UK design protection (Designers to have as much protection as copyright creators)

The UK’s intellectual property framework is regarded as strong. The problem is enforcement. Common criticisms include that litigation remains expensive, many SMEs never take legal action because of cost, and online infringement is difficult to stop and there is a lack of parity for designers relying on unregistered rights.

Please also take an urgent look at what is happening to design within the Creative Industries because of Generative AI data scraping original work without authorisation, transparency or recompense which seriously threatens jobs. I would urge you to consider guardrails for the untethered use of AI to achieve growth.

The Creative Industries are not only a precious cultural UK asset but a significant economic engine for growth and we urge you to champion a clear principle:

AI growth must respect IP rights.

I look forward to having a meeting with you at the earliest opportunity. With all good wishes in your new role.

Dids Macdonald OBE
Chairman and Co-Founder
Anti Copying In Design