Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment the Intellectual Property Office has made of the potential behavioural impact of (a) the risk of injunction threats, (b) legal costs and (c) high licensing fees in the licensing of Standard Essential Patents on (i) SMEs and (ii) other UK technology companies.

The Government recognises the importance of Standard Essential Patents (SEPs) to the UK economy and has sought evidence from industry to identify how SEP licensing practices function to encourage innovation and promote competition.

The IPO continues to assess industry evidence on how the SEPs ecosystem impacts on UK SMEs and technology companies and is considering policy options that could help improve its functioning, including SEP licensing conditions. Any options requiring regulatory change would be part of a consultation and a final decision on holding a consultation would rest with Ministers.