Chairman’s Introduction
2010 was our inaugural year as regulator of Patent and Trade Mark professionals.
The previous two years in set-up stage and ‘shadow board’ came to an end with the formal delegation agreement signed by both CIPA and ITMA in December 2009.
The formal transfer of regulatory powers was subject to LSB governance processes. That process resulted in a number of suggestions from the LSB to better reflect the regulatory objectives. I am delighted with the progress we have made – we still have a little way to go in areas such as harmonization of board appointment procedures and budget discussions – but we should acknowledge just how much solid and constructive work has been done and what we have achieved.
The year saw the publication of consultation documents, the establishment of our dedicated registers, the creation of an entity register and the collection of fees directly from the regulated community. Some of this may sound dull – but these are vital steps in establishing an effective regulatory presence.
The Board (which strictly speaking is two Boards – one for Patent Regulation and one for Trade Mark Regulation) met regularly and endeavoured throughout the year to communicate, not only with the institutes but also with registrants in many cities. Every effort is made to ensure we are not seen as a “London-centred” regulator. Events have taken place in Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Bristol.
2011 is set to be as busy as 2010 as we further develop in areas of education, improved communication and becoming better equipped to carry out our duties. My thanks go to all Board members for their expertise and commitment. No Chairman or Board can function without dedicated staff. I am pleased to place on record my appreciation of Ann Wright our CEO, assisted by Karen Duxbury and Kate Hastings, without whom we would not have made our huge strides forward
2010 Annual Report