A survey was carried out of a large number of UK-based small and medium-sized enterprises to assess their use of, and attitudes towards, patents and patent information. Use of patent information is closely linked to use of the patent system for protection purposes. There appears to be little correlation between attitudes towards patents and patent information and educational background or with the type of industry the company was active in. The use of intermediaries, such as patent agents, to carry out patent searches appears at times to create as many barriers as it over-comes. The general approach of Patent Offices, that failure to use patent information is dangerous and that the way to overcome this is to make patent information easier or cheaper to use, may be misguided. The situation appears to be more complex. Small and medium-sized enterprises should not be treated as a single homogeneous group and, arguably, such companies do use patent information in the most appropriate way.
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