The Irish Patent Office endeavours to spreading awareness of the the whole system of intellectual property rights through its website and various information publications. This information is primarily aimed at business and commerce, but is also of value to the academic community and to the individual entrepreneur.

Publications such as the Official Journal and IP Information Booklets can be viewed online via the Office’s website at: https://www.patentsoffice.ie/en/Publications/

IP awareness raising events are advertised on the Office’s website under “News”

Enterprise Ireland is the government organisation charged with assisting the development of Irish enterprise. It brings together the key marketing, technology, enterprise development, business training and science and innovation initiatives through which the Government supports the growth of Irish industry.

For information about Irish government schemes to support innovation visit http://www.enterprise-ireland.com/

Although Industrial Property Rights are granted by the Irish State, it is up to the individual owner to ensure that his/her rights are not being infringed and if they are, to take appropriate action.

Proceeding for infringement of a patent may be brought by the proprietor of the patent or an exclusive licensee and the action must be taken in the High Court, except in the case of an infringement of a short term patent where the action can be taken in the Circuit Court. Proceedings for the revocation of a patent can be taken either before the High Court or the Controller of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks. However if there are already court proceedings pending in relation to the patent, then it is not possible to take revocation proceedings before the Controller without leave of the High Court.

Where a registered trade mark is infringed , the infringement is actionable by the proprietor of the trade mark in the High Court. Revocation proceedings in respect of a registered trade mark can be brought by any person and the application can be made either to the Controller or to the High Court except where proceedings (e.g. infringement proceedings) concerning the trade mark are already pending in the High court, in which case the application must be made to the High Court rather than the Controller.

An infringement of a design right is actionable before the appropriate Court by the registered proprietor of the design, an exclusive licensee or a licensee generally where the registered proprietor refuses to take action.

An infringement of the copyright in a work is actionable by the copyright owner before the Court.

Criminal offences also exist in Irish copyright, trade marks, and designs legislation where intellectual property rights are being infringed . Where criminal offences may have been committed, it may be possible for the proprietor of an IP right to pursue the matter themselves as a private prosecution, or report the matter to the police, the revenue or customs service who may be in a position to take action to seize the infringing goods.