London, Monday, 22 September 2025.
After the UK Intellectual Property Office publicly reasserted its remit over patents, trademarks, designs and copyright in 2025, theme‑park operators, manufacturers and licensors face a clear prompt to rethink timing and scope of protections. The IPO — emphasising its enforcement and advisory role within DSIT — opened a 12‑week consultation in early September that would, if adopted, let the registrar examine novelty, curb bad‑faith filings and recognise animations, transitions and GUIs as registrable designs. The most actionable fact: digital guest‑facing elements and novel ride mechanisms are explicitly on the reform table. Practical implications for retail teams include accelerating design registrations and patent filings, auditing R&D and supplier contracts for gaps in AR/digital rights, tightening NDAs and updating merchandising licences to secure monetisable assets earlier in project timelines. Anticipate changes to deferment, opposition procedures and cross‑border recognition that will reshape prosecution tactics and dispute risk — now is the time to close exposure before new rules land.