“Social media has provided a platform for increased public debate around monopoly rights. Increasing the pressure of public perception, these debates have not only gained traction in the mainstream media but have also led to rightsholders reconsidering the management and enforcement of their Intellectual Property (IP),” highlights Dr Hayleigh Bosher (Brunel Law School) in the rreport recently released by The Intellectual Property Office.
The report summarises initial research results on UK news coverage of intellectual property (IP) rights, focusing on copyright, design, patent, and trademark issues, and their links to the decision-making processes of rights-holders in managing their rights. The key findings are:
- Over the past 10 years, UK news articles mentioning "intellectual property" have increased, especially between 2017-18, with a slight dip in 2021-22. The main topics were the extent of rights and registration, and IP disputes.
- While the use of "copyright" in articles decreased over five years, a decade-long view shows an overall increase, focusing on its scope, management, and infringement.
- Patent mentions also rose, particularly during 2013 and 2020, due to reports on mobile phone cases and COVID-19 vaccine protections.
- The term "trade mark" saw more usage in news from 2018 to 2021. However, finding articles on design rights was difficult due to the term's broad everyday use, making these findings less reliable.
Dr Bosher concluded that further research should be conducted to better understand the extent of this impact.
Reported by:
Eliza Kania
eliza.kania@brunel.ac.uk