NIPC News

Ross Church / Downing College, Cambridge / CC BY-SA 2.0 Jane Lambert The 23rd IP Law Summer School will take place at Downing College, Cambridge between 12 and 16 Aug 2024 and I shall speak on FRAND  and IP Litigation in the English Courts .  I will also chair the sessions on patents  and contentious IP .  In Cambridge IP Law Summer School   I described the course as "a rare opportunity to listen to some of the leading practitioners in intellectual property law in beautiful surroundings in the company of some very bright young men and women from around the world."   This year's summer school promises to be one of the best ever with a revised agenda  and some excellent speakers .  Among this year's new topics Parminder Lally and Debora Dorn of Appleyard Lees will discuss IP and artificial intelligence and a speaker whose name is yet to be announced will talk about geographical indications . The knowledge imparted in the classroom is only part of the learning experience

Author   Chensiyuan   Licence CC BY-SA 3.0   Source Wikimedia Commons   Jane Lambert The scheme known as direct or public access by which members of the public may approach barristers without first instructing a solicitor or other intermediary came into being on 1 July 2004. The 20th anniversary of the start of that scheme has coincided with the Bar Council's launch of a new Direct Access Portal  and three YouTube videos entitled What is Direct Access? , What does a Direct Access Barrister do?  and How to use the Direct Access Portal?    I was one of the first barristers to qualify for direct access.  I received my first instructions through the scheme within days of finishing the course.   I have continued to receive a flow of direct access work ever since. The scheme implemented the recommendations of a report by a working party chaired by Sir Sydney Kentridge KC with the title  Competition in Professions.  The   report   stressed that if the sources of barristers’ instruction we