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The Rapstrap reusable tie strip product featured on the BBC’s Dragons Den program in August 2008 which received a £150,000 investment by Dragons James Caan and Duncan Bannatyne infringes Millepede’s patent, the UK Intellectual Property Office has announced in an opinion issued this week.

Working with Martyn Fish, Solicitor at niche IP Law firm HGF Law in Leeds, A request was made to the UK Intellectual Property Office at the request of Millepede to undertake a full technical review of the Rapstrap product made by Andrew Harsley, an ex employee of Millepede, and concluded that it infringes Millepede’s granted patent.

Both parties supplied additional information and details to a senior examiner at the UK patent office to allow his review, and he concluded the Rapstrap product possessed all the characteristics needed to infringe the Millepede patent.
Martyn Fish commented “HGF LAW has found the opinion procedure offered by the UK Intellectual Property Office to be very useful for clients. It can provide them with an inexpensive and quick alternative to litigation”

The Rapstrap has received major publicity in the UK as the most successful Dragons Den product in the history of the program by securing a £36m order from a major distributor.

John Butterworth Millepede’s Managing Director said: “I was amazed when Andrew, who started Millepede forgot to mention our existence on the program, and then all the parties showed a lack of interest in talking to us about our prior patent. I hope this official review will allow us to regain the potential business placed at risk by this infringement.”
Millepede’s reusable and releasable tie strip concept that caused such interest on the program can be seen at www.millepede.com

The full UK Intellectual Property Office adjudication is available by pdf and can be viewed at:
www.ipo.gov.uk/pro-p-opinion-advert.htm