A bit more on the UKIPO customer visit programme -- and how is this done elsewhere?

Barbara (here) and I (here) have already noted the determination of the UK IPO, in the person of Nigel Hanley, to find out what it is that solo and small-scale IP practitioners want (other than a regular flow of helpful clients who are sensitive to deadlines and pay when asked, affordable professional indemnity insurance, peace on Earth and goodwill to all men ...).  Just to rub it in, here's the tick-box form that the IPO is using as a means of setting the agenda for a fruitful dialogue with its users:

IPO Customer Visit Programme Discussion Topics

IPO Customer Visits are an opportunity for us to tell you what is happening at the IPO and also for you to discuss issues that matter to you. To shape the agenda please complete this form, selecting the topics you’d like to cover:

 Patent Prosecution Highway basic discussion OR

 Patent Prosecution Highway presentation (approx 20 mins that qualifies for CPD)

 Opinions Service and mediation

 Update and questions on the Unitary Patent and Court

 Update and questions on the IP Bill

 PO Electronic Services – recent and forthcoming changes to IPO Services v 

 Service Issues you are currently experiencing and your suggestions for service improvement

 Search and examination targets and practice

 Excluded matter – e.g. Computer Programs

 Bio-Technology

 Accelerated Services

 Colour Drawings

 Section 20 compliance period

 Electronic citations

 Excessive claims

 Patent Box

 Guidance for Small Firms and obtaining finance

Would you find it helpful to meet representatives from:

 Trade Marks

 Patents Formalities

Any other topics or questions you’d like to cover:

Name: 

Firm: 

Tel:

Please return [this form] to Nigel Hanley by email to nigel.hanley@ipo.gov.uk

Apart from the obvious question of what would people like to add to this list, which looks pretty good at first blush, this blogger is curious to know if any intellectual property offices outside the UK are currently engaged in similar outreach exercises. If so, which ones are they -- and how do their attempts to hear and respond to the voice of the small practitioner community compare with that of the UK?  Does anyone know?

Calling all small practitioners: the IPO wants to meet you, really!

Nigel Hanley (Senior Patent Examiner, UK Intellectual Property Office) has emailed us with the following message:

For my [unspecified] sins I now run the Customer Visit programme in the IPO and I would appreciate a little help in advertising an event we are running in London on 9 April. The annual report for last year's visit programme can be found here, if you are interested [and also if you're not: I checked]. 

Specifically, we are aware that there are many small IP firms and sole practitioners that we do not get to meet. We are also aware that our current customer visit programme deals with much larger firms and businesses. To rectify that we are holding the meeting at BIS, 1 Victoria Street [it's possible that there may just be more than one of these in the country, but London looks the best bet] so we can meet the smaller firms and here what they think of our services and let them know about some of the new services we offer.

For further particulars, pending the arrival of a suitable link to a web page, why not email Nigel here at nigel.hanley@ipo.gov.uk?