IP for the Welsh Food and Packaging Industries

Jane Lambert



Yesterday I spoke at a workshop on sustainable packaging and waste.  It took place at Tŷ Menai conference centre in Parc Menai just outside Bangor, There were many eminent speakers including Rob Elias, Director of the Biocomposites Centre of Bangor University, Selwyn Owen of Beacon Biorefining Hugh Jones of WRAP Cymru, David Walker of Business Wales, Dewi Rowlands of Bangor University and Wyn Griffiths of the Pontio Centre FabLab which I discussed in The Pontio Centre: A Resource for Inventors, Designers and Makers in North Wales 14 Dec 2018 NIPC Inventors Club,

I talked about intellectual property.  As I was called to the lectern 10 minutes before lunch was due to be served, I had to condense a 30-minute presentation into 10.  That was probably a good thing as I focused on essentials,  I explained what was meant by intellectual property, set out the IP toolkit and gave the audience two of my best tips:
During a panel discussion that took place immediately after my talk, I was asked: "What steps should be taken by a food company to protect its intellectual assets?   I replied that the proprietor should register the business's  trade name and/or logo as a trade mark, keep its recipes secret relying on the law of confidence and the new trade secrecy directive and enquire about IP insurance,

I met representatives of a lot of interesting businesses over lunch including farmers who were interested in geographical indications and collective and certification marks, brewers and cider makers and a chocolatier who makes postcard chocolate bars. There were plenty of business advisers from Business Wales, Cywain, researchers from Bangor University and other institutions and many other business support professionals.

As there are not many intellectual property professionals in North Wales I floated the idea of a regular IP clinic like the ones I have run in Yorkshire and the Northwest.  Several individuals thought it was a good idea and Selwyn Owen suggested M-SParc in Anglesey as a possible venue. I visited the science park after the workshop, took a cup of tea, bought a bar of the postcard chocolate and was treated to a personal tour of the premises by the business development manager.

Should anything come of my clinic proposal I shall announce it here,  In the meantime, I have been invited to speak at a similar workshop in Aberystwyth in March.  I am looking forward to it enormously.

Anyone wishing to discuss this article or any of the topics I cover should call me on 020 7404 5252 or send me a message through my contact form,  

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