A MOU signed by Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property, USPTO Director Kathi Vidal and the Chief Executive Officer of the United Kingdom Intellectual Property Office (UKIPO) Adam Williams provides a framework for collaboration between the two offices on policies relating to standard essential patents (SEPs).

Under the terms of the agreement, the USPTO and the UKIPO will:

• Cooperate on activities to facilitate collaboration and exchange of information on policy matters concerning SEPs, to better ensure a balanced standards ecosystem.

• Explore means to educate small and medium-sized enterprises seeking to implement or contribute to the development of technical interoperability standards on fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory terms.

• Examine ways of improving transparency in the fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory licensing of technical interoperability standards.

• Engage in outreach to stakeholders to raise awareness of issues related to SEPs.

• Discuss means to incorporate additional jurisdictions into the USPTO’s and the UKIPO’s activities concerning SEPs, including exploring a venue for such broader discussions.

The agreement will remain in effect for five years from the date of signing