Instant response! IPO bows to Kat comment, changes logo

For many years, out of the kindness of his heart and despite having many better things to do, the IPKat has been telling the UK's Intellectual Property Office and its political masters what to do.  Sometimes his advice has been ignored, mislaid or kicked into the long grass; his stern instructions have been met with that happy blend of incomprehension and indifference which civil servants are sent on courses to acquire.  But occasionally -- just occasionally -- the Men from the Ministry and (this being the 21st century and an era of equality) the Women too will respond to the provocations of the IPKat and (this being the 21st century and an era of equality) Merpel.

The UK IPO: the motif on the left symbolises
the main product of Wales, where the IPO
is based -- rain drops

Only yesterday, in his review of a briefing on the L2Pro 3G mobile-enabled platform for delivering up-to-date IP advice for SME folk (see post here), this Kat posted the illustration of the IPO's current logo, with all those blue blobs on it, together with an unflattering comment with regard to their symbolism.  Little did he know that, on reading this post, the great and the good from Newport, Gwent, and their colleagues in London, had set to work in designing a new logo. The fruits of their labour may be seen in the material posted below, culled from the IPO's website, here:

IPO logo change and single government identity

We will shortly begin replacing our existing logo with the Royal Coat of Arms. This is part of a wider move to develop a consistent and cost-effective approach to branding across UK government departments and agencies.

We will implement the logo change in a phased approach commencing in February 2013, starting with our web site and gradually replacing stationery as and when stock levels need replacing. During this period you may notice some inconsistency with our stationery as paper and material stocks are replaced.

Government's use of a standard logo will also make it easier for its customers to distinguish genuine government correspondence from official-looking and often misleading approaches by other organisations.

For those who want to take a closer look, the artwork of the logo is reproduced in greater size here. The lion, depicted on the left of the emblem, is an animal that sleeps for two or three days at a time after it kills and eats its prey, this period of time representing the approximate number of man (or woman) hours needed to examine a patent application. The unicorn, a fictional beast whose function is principally decorative and ceremonial, represents whoever's turn it is to be the Minister for Intellectual Property ...