The Queen's Speech included proposals: (i) to reform the law of unjustified threats; (ii) to address the differences in online and offline copyright laws; and (iii) to allow webmarking of designs.
Yesterday's Queen's Speech included some of the legislative IP reforms that we have previously been reporting on.
1. The IP (Unjustified Threats) Bill will adopt the Law Commission's recommendations to reform the law of unjustified threats. See more here and here.
2. The Digital Economy Bill will:
- address the differences in online and offline copyright laws (see more here);
- allow design owners to give notice of their rights more cheaply and freely. This should allow the owners of UK and EU registered designs to mark their products with a web address containing details of the design, rather than having to put the design numbers directly on the product. This system is already in place in relation to patents.
We will continue to report as these Bills pass through the legislative process.