Industry, Science and Technology Minister Christian Porter today tabled a report into the accessibility and operation of Australia’s patent system for small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

The Patents Accessibility Review was conducted by Emeritus Professor Raoul Mortley who consulted widely with the small business community, universities, researchers and lawyers on a broad range of topics, including costs, processing times and the level of government support available to SMEs to help them understand and navigate the patent system. 

Minister Porter said the Government was committed to ensuring Australia’s intellectual property (IP) framework supported the needs of SMEs and thanked Professor Mortley for his work.

“SMEs make up 99 per cent of all Australian businesses, and we know the history and potential for great ideas and inventions amongst small Australian companies, so it is essential that we ensure their intellectual property can be safeguarded through patenting,” Minister Porter said.

“I would like to thank Professor Mortley for his efforts in this review, and the Government is carefully considering the recommendations from his report.”

The report is now available at industry.gov.au/patentsaccessibilityreview.