The IPR-Helpdesk, also known as Intellectual Property Rights Helpdesk, is a project funded by the European Commission (EC) and a source and guide to patent information.[1] The project was set up in 1998 to be a central reference point for intellectual property inquiries and advice throughout the European Union. [2] The University of Alicante (Spain) was responsible for the FP5, FP7 and CIP IPR-Helpdesk editions from January 2001 to February 2011. From the 1st of March 2011 onwards, a Luxembourg/Saarbrücken-based consortium formed by infeurope S.A, the Public Research Centre Henri Tudor and the EURICE GmbH will be in charge of the IPR-helpdesk as an outcome of the European Commission’s tender[3] [4].
According to IPR-Helpdesk web site, its main objective [5] is to assist potential and current contractors taking part in European Union (Community) funded research and technological development projects on intellectual property rights (IPR) issues. The IPR-Helpdesk also advises on Community diffusion and protection rules and other issues relating to IPR in international research projects. Another more global objective of the action is to raise the European research community's awareness of IPR issues, by emphasising their European dimension. [6]