Submissions: Published response
What is your organisation? - Organisation
Submission - General comment
I have applied for a provisional patent application No: 2019904681 in Dec 2019 with IP Australia and I have to file international application through PTC route before Nov 2020.
As a sole proprietor of a SME based in victoria I need financial assistance from Government to file the application. It is a very valuable patent and I will need a timely financial assistance during this Covid 19 pandemic year.
Are the official fees set by IP Australia a barrier for SMEs? - Are the official fees set by IP Australia a barrier for SMEs?
yes certainly.
Are the professional fees for patent attorneys and IP lawyers a barrier for SMEs? Are professional fees good value for money? - Are the professional fees for patent attorneys and IP lawyers a barrier for SMEs? Are professional fees good value for money?
Professional fee and patent attorney fee is certainly a barrier for SME.Professional fee is a good value for money. Financial assistance to SME will go a long way to promote R&D ,innovation and commercialization in Australia and overseas.
Is the support offered by the Australian Government on patents useful for SMEs? How can these resources better reach SMEs? - Is the support offered by the Australian Government on patents useful for SMEs? How can these resources better reach SMEs?
Financial support is absolutely necessary for SME especially when competing with international companies.
Is the fear of litigation putting small businesses off patenting? - Is the fear of litigation putting small businesses off patenting?
No
Is the fear of litigation well founded? Is enforcement actually that difficult and expensive? - Is the fear of litigation well founded? Is enforcement actually that difficult and expensive?
Enforcement is difficult and expensive but it is worth patenting.
How could enforcement be made more accessible? Is it possible for costs to be contained at certain points? - How could enforcement be made more accessible? How much cheaper would patent litigation need to be to be within reach of SMEs?
It depends on how skillfully the patent attorney drafts the patent document.
How and when can SMEs best be encouraged to consider patents as part of their commercialisation and broader IP plans? - How can SMEs be encouraged to consider patents as part of their commercialisation plans?
SME should be encouraged to file patents for commercialization purpose so that IP can be valued and taken as a contribution by the inventor.
Do you have any other comments on the issues raised in this paper, or on any other barriers that may hinder SMEs from accessing the patent system? Do you have any other suggestions for initiatives to improve accessibility? - Do you have any other comments on the issues raised in this paper, or on any other barriers that may hinder SMEs from accessing the patent system?
Providing finance to SME to file patent application in a timely manner is a must. everything in patent is about timing.
Unique ID