"[...] The Government has asked me to lead an independent review to examine the UK's intellectual property framework. Intellectual property is crucial to the success of knowledge-based industries, which are increasingly important for the UK's economic competitiveness in the global economy. The IP framework must balance the need to encourage firms and individuals to innovate and invest in new ideas and creative works with the need to ensure that markets remain competitive and that future innovation is not impeded.
The Review will examine whether improvements could be made to the UK's existing IP framework, especially in the context of rapid technological change and globalisation. The Review will report to the Chancellor, the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry and the Secretary of State for culture, Media and Sport in Autumn 2006, with targeted and practical policy recommendations as appropriate.
I am committed to ensuring that the Review is an open process that takes full account of the views of its stakeholders. As such, I am writing to invite you or your organisation to submit evidence to the Review team. This letter is being sent to all those who have already contacted us through our website, and a large number of key contacts across a range of industry sectors, including scientific, high-tech, manufacturing, media and creative industries, as well as public sector and third sector bodies, relevant industry associations, inventors' bodies, consumer groups, experts in corporate finance and venture capital, the legal profession, and leading economists and other academics in the field. This letter is also available on the Review website www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/gowers.
In the accompanying paper, I have outlined the issues on which I would particularly like to hear your views and supporting evidence, though please raise other issues if you wish. I recognise that responding to this call for evidence may be an onerous task, but please note that you need not respond to those issues which are not relevant to you. Your input will be of great value to the Review team and the evidence submitted in response to this letter will help to shape the direction that our work takes during the coming months.
We would be grateful if you could send your submission to the Review team by Friday 21 April 2006. I look forward to hearing from you and thank you in advance for your input into this important work. [...]"
This is surely not only a big but a major look into today's IP landscape, and I expect that it might perhaps even exert some influence well beyond the borderlines of the United Kingdom.
It should be well noted that in earlier times during the 20th Century, the UK policy on IP matters has been influenced by three major reports, namely the PLG report of 1965, the report of the Banks Committee published in 1970, and by the White Paper of 1975.
In this context I would like to remind the readers of my Blog that the Consultation of the EU Commission "On the patent system in Europe" is open until March 31, 2006. I think it is important that as many companies as possible having stakes in Europe will participate. Participating multinational companies having their headquarters outside the EU but with substantial workforce in Europe will surely be bashed by anti-patent and anti-globalisation campaigners but such noises should simply be ignored. I am confident that the EU Commission will also take notice of the view of such companies in an appropriate manner. It is, however, most important that the EU Commission will not suffer drowning in thousands of repeated e-mail complaints originated by well-organised and networked anti-patent campaigners without seeing any counterweights from companies not being part of the anti-patent campaining scene.
Feel free to contact PA Axel H Horns via e-mail
horns@ipjur.com. BEWARE: DO NOT SEND CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION UNENCRYPTED VIA E-MAIL. USE OF ENCRYPTION SOFTWARE IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. PA AXEL H HORNS IS PROVIDING SUPPORT FOR ENCRYPTED E-MAIL MESSAGES USING PGP OR PGP COMPATIBLE FORMATS. THE PGP PUBLIC KEY FOR PA AXEL H HORNS IS AVAILABLE
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HERE.
Dipl.-Phys. Axel H Horns is Patentanwalt (German Patent Attorney),
European Patent Attorney as well as European Trade Mark Attorney. In particular, he is Member of:
Gowers Review of Intellectual Property. Recently, Mr. Gower's 
Call for Evidence has been published: 
