Intellectual Property Office of Ireland

The Intellectual Property Office of Ireland (IPOI) (Irish: Oifig Maoine Intleachtúla na hÉireann) is the government body responsible for administration and enforcement of intellectual property law in the Republic of Ireland. It is directly responsible for enforcing Irish trade mark law and Irish copyright law. It is under the patronage of the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment of the Government of Ireland.^[1]

Intellectual Property Office of Ireland

Oifig Maoine Intleachtúla na hÉireann
Statutory office overview
Jurisdiction	Government of Ireland
Headquarters	Hebron Road, Kilkenny
Statutory office executive	James Kelly, Controller
Parent department	Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment
Website	ipoi.gov.ie

History

The agency was formed after the establishment of the Irish Free State.^[2] It was formed by the Industrial and Commercial Property Protection Act, 1927. §5 of the Act of 1927 created the Industrial and Commercial Property Registration Office under the authority of a duly appointed Controller of Industrial and Commercial Property. The newly created agency was divided into a Patents Branch and a Designs and Trade Marks Branch.^[3]

The agency handles applications and registrations for patents, trade marks, and industrial designs. The agency's operations were modernized in 1998 and it relocated from its original offices in Dublin into a new headquarters in Kilkenny.^[4]

It was named the Patents Office until 2019, when it was renamed the Intellectual Property Office of Ireland.^[5] It is under the control of the Controller of Intellectual Property. James Kelly is the Controller of the Intellectual Property Office of Ireland at present.^[6]

See also

• Patent office