Feedback updated 1 Jul 2021

We asked

The Australian Government commissioned a review of the accessibility of the patent system for small-to-medium sized enterprises (SMEs).

Independent expert Emeritus Professor Raoul Mortley AO led the review. He consulted SMEs and other stakeholders through targeted interviews in August and September 2020. We compiled the main findings from those interviews into a discussion paper.

We asked for your feedback on the questions raised in the discussion paper.

You said

We received a total of 22 submissions.

  • 10 from SMEs
  • 5 from peak bodies or attorney firms
  • 7 from university commercialisation offices

View submitted responses where consent has been given to publish the response.

We did

The submissions informed the Patents accessibility review report. 

Professor Mortley outlined 3 key findings and 16 recommendations.

The report was tabled in parliament on 27 May 2021. The Government is considering the findings and recommendations made by Professor Mortley.

Overview

The Australian Government wants to ensure that the standard patent system is as accessible as possible to Australia’s SMEs to protect their inventions in Australia and overseas.

The review is part of the Government’s commitment to ensuring our intellectual property (IP) framework supports the needs of smaller businesses. Led by Professor Mortley, the review will:

  • investigate costs, processing times, advice and SME awareness levels
  • recommend options to improve access and support.

Timeline

  • Opened
    closed
    29 September 2020
  • Closed
    closed
    31 October 2020