IPReg is embarking on an education review as part of fulfilling our delegated regulatory responsibilities and delivering our strategic priorities. This is to ensure qualification routes into the trade mark and patent attorney professions remain responsive to changing needs and that we continue to exercise our accreditation role in robust, proportionate ways. The review is future-focused. It is not about making changes to IPReg’s current requirements and arrangements in the short-term.
The Education Review’s purpose is to ensure the qualification routes into the patent attorney and trade mark attorney professions remain up-to-date and responsive to changes in professional practice, employer and consumer needs. We also want to understand and address current barriers to entry to each profession. This includes to identify how qualification routes can be more accessible and inclusive, while ensuring that high education and professional standards continue to be upheld.
Collaborating with stakeholders is central to how we will conduct the review. We will increase our stakeholder communications and engagement activity as the review gets fully underway and are keen to optimise all opportunities for stakeholder contact. Early-stage stakeholder input and feedback will inform how we shape a ‘call for evidence’. This is due to open towards the end of 2025. Stakeholder responses to the evidence call will inform a formal consultation on proposals for any changes. The consultation is currently due to open towards the end of 2026.
The Education Review will address complex, multi-faceted issues collaboratively with stakeholders to address the potential need for change. We have no pre-formed solutions. The timeframes for progressing the review and formulating proposals for any future change will be informed by stakeholder input and feedback. Any changes arising from the review will be introduced with due notice. We will work with stakeholders to formulate realistic timeframes to implement the review’s agreed outputs and outcomes. This includes to ensure appropriate lead-in times to any changes and to provide clarity and certainty for all parties.
Please see the Education Review FAQs for further information. For further enquiries please email edreview@ipreg.org.uk.