The Gowers Review of Intellectual Property

The Gowers Review, published on December 6, 2006, confirmed the crucial importance of IP to the success of the United Kingdom in the global knowledge economy. The report, commissioned by the UK Chancellor of the Exchequer, recommended proposals on a wide range of policy issues surrounding copyright, patents, enforcement, and the fight against IP crime. Ian Fletcher, the recently appointed head of the UK's Office of Intellectual Property, which among other matters administers the UK patent system, discussed the Review's recommendations and its impact on intellectual property policy in the UK.