"Consultation on the implementation of a Design Opinions Service" is the title of a 32-page document that has been published today in the United Kingdom by the UK's Intellctual Property Office (IPO). You can check it out here.

In short, this consultation relates to the proposed ingtroduction in the UK of a scheme by which it is possible for any person to seek, for a modest fee, an informed but non-binding opinion from the IPO as to whether a registered design is valid or infringed. A scheme for the provision of opinions regarding the validity and infringement of patents has been in operation for some years now and while, in this blogger's view, it has been under-used, it seems to work well and has been appreciated by those who use it.

If you would like to respond to the consultation, you have until 15 May to do so.