Launched at the end of October 2024 by the Intellectual Property Office (UK IPO), a new resource hub for businesses seeking guidance for Standard Essential Patents (SEPs). A Standard Essential Patent protects a technology deemed essential to protecting a technical standard, which is an agreed way to specify how technologies interact with each other. In everyday life this would translate to the way smartphones, telecommunication networks, medical devices, cars etc. communicate with each other. 

The SEP Resource Hub has been developed in collaboration with industry users and will evolve over time to include updated guidance and support. The guidance includes Technical Standards and Standard Development Organisations, Standard Essential Patent Licensing, and Dispute Resolution and Remedies in SEP Licensing.

The Hub is divided into 4 parts:

•    guidance on Technical Standards and Standard Development Organisations
•    guidance on Standard Essential Patent Licensing
•    guidance on Dispute resolution and remedies in SEP Licensing
•    additional resources including a UK SEPs case law tracker, glossary of terms and international SEPs-specific resources which may be useful to UK businesses trying to navigate the SEPs ecosystem

SEPs are of growing importance to the UK economy and the Hub’s aim is to help businesses improve their knowledge and understanding of SEPs and the challenges they may face. The objectives of the Hub, which has been developed over the past 2 years, is to help businesses navigate and better understand the SEPs ecosystem and Fair Reasonable and Non-Discriminatory (FRAND) licensing, improve transparency in the ecosystem, both in relation to pricing and essentiality and achieve greater efficiency in respect of dispute resolution, including arbitration and mediation. 

In May 2024, the UK Intellectual Property Office and the US Patent and Trade mark Office signed a Memorandum of Understanding to co-operate in their work on Standard Essential Patents. The MoU will allow both offices to work together on matters related to SEPs to achieve shared international coordination aspirations. The agreement will remain in effect for five years from the date of signing.