If an attorney firm files through the UK's new patents service without assigning the right representative, the patent will not appear in the firm's account and the filing receipt will be delayed. That is how the UK Intellectual Property Office (UKIPO) puts it in its detailed guide to the new patents service (One IPO). The guide was last updated on 6 November, to state that patents must be renewed online through the IP account and that the old renewals service now accepts only trade marks and registered designs.
The new service went live on 1 April 2026, and the points below, which matter for firms in daily practice, have been in the guide since launch.
Assigning a representative
The representative field is not currently mandatory when filing, but leaving it blank or getting it wrong has the consequences above. Search for and select your company rather than adding yourself manually, which stops the patent linking to the firm's account.
Where notices go
When a user completes an action, both the submitter and the firm's central email address get a confirmation. Items issued by the IPO, such as the filing receipt, search report and examination report, go only to the central email address chosen by the administrator. Emails carry no sensitive information or attachments; users sign in to the IP account to view them.
Account access
There are only two account types, standard user and administrator, and by default every user in a company sees all patents the company owns or manages. There is no way yet to create other user types to restrict features, a groups feature that limited access by case was removed after testing, and there is no role-based drafting and review workflow. The guide strongly recommends more than one administrator per company.
Client accounts
Representatives and their clients can each set up their own accounts and manage patents and supplementary protection certificates (SPCs). The guide suggests agreeing with the client in advance how each side will use its account.
J&C recommends that firms handling UK patents check that every new application names the firm, found by search, as representative; set the central email address to a team inbox that someone monitors; and appoint at least two administrators.
Source: www.gov.uk | www.gov.uk
