The UK is preparing for an independent trade policy once it leaves the EU and it is looking to maximise its trade opportunities globally and across all countries. As part of this the UK will have the opportunity to negotiate, sign, and ratify Free Trade Agreements. Therefore, the UK Government opened trade negotiations consultations to members of the public, businesses, trade experts, and any other interested organisations to help inform and provide evidence.

Alliance for IP has submitted its response on the trade negotiations consultations opened by the Department for International Trade.

Dids Macdonald, OBE., Vice Chair of the Alliance said, “As an active member of the Alliance for Intellectual Property, ACID supports the Alliance for IP submission to the Department of International Trade Negotiations to help inform and provide evidence. If any members have any further evidence or information please do not hesitate to engage with us.  It is imperative that designers and manufacturers are heard at all stages of negotiations now and in the future.

Of importance to UK designers is recognising that in terms of protection for designs, the UK system is not an adequate replacement for the European system in its current operation. For example, that UK Unregistered Design Right is not an equitable right with the Community Unregistered Design Right, because of its shorter term and the fact that the UK right does not cover surface decoration whereas the EU right protects individual character in particular, lines, contours, texture, colour combinations and surface decoration whereas the UK right only protects shape and configuration.”

​In addressing the detail of negotiations for boosting trading relationships with countries including the United States, Australia, New Zealand and considering potential accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) it is vital that the protection and promotion of intellectual property (IP) is at the heart of policy, ensuring that everything we create in the UK has the potential to achieve its maximum value, that creators are properly rewarded and that markets work well for consumers.

The Alliance has previously collated and published its “Trading Places” report covering major export markets for our members’ industries, in addition to future priority markets and the specific issues and opportunities within IP that will come with this.

The trading priorities addressed in our report stress the importance which Alliance members attach to the highlighted provisions within IP Chapters of future trade agreements.

​The main points of our response include defending standards, allowing flexibility for higher levels of protection to be applied, promoting recognition at international level of rights, making provisions for effective enforcement of rights, recognising the importance of cyber security, sustaining the UK’s trade mark exhaustion regime.

Please see the submission here.