Cambridge IP Law Summer School 2024 Report

By Herbert Baker - https://www.flickr.com/photos/stevecadman/2347434439/, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=68619795
Downing College, Cambridge


I have been chairing sessions and speaking at the Cambridge IP Law Summer School on and off since 2017 and have enjoyed every one tremendously but I think this year's was the best ever.  That was because there was an exceptional cohort of attendees drawn from the Civil Service, Magic Circle law firms, Sweden, Turkiye and business and an updated programme which included artificial intelligence, database rights, geographical indications and the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024.

The Summer School took place at Downing College between Monday 12 Aug and Friday 16 Aug 3035. There was a different agenda each day.    The first day's agenda was "Fundamentals", the second day's was "Patents", the third's was "Soft IP", the fourth's "Transactional IP" and the fifth's "Contentious IP".  Each day was chaired by a different chairperson.  The first was by Darren Meale of Simmons & Simmons. the third by Victoria McEvedy of McEvedys, the fourth by Patricia McGovern of DFMG and I chaired the second and fifth.

I attended most of the talks and enjoyed all that I attended but the following were my favourites:
The talks took place in the Howard Building which was close to the main dining hall and attendees and speakers were housed in students' residences nearby.  Breakfasts and two of the dinners were served in the hall and lunches and a barbecue in the Howard Building's gardens. 

A quiz took place on the first night which my team won though I am not sure what happened to the prize. There was punting on the second day. Mercifully nobody fell into the Cam or was left stranded clutching a pole for dear life. There was a walking tour on Wednesday and a gala dinner on Thursday.  The course was managed by David Blagden and Kylie Lee who are to be congratulated on its success.

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