NIPC News

Author Monsarc Public Domain Source Wikimedia Commons   Jane Lambert One of the high points of my year as an intellectual property lawyer has been the Cambridge IP Law Summer School at Downing College, Cambridge. It is addressed by some of the world's leading IP practitioners and scholars.  For the last few years, I have been invited to contribute to their discussions.   Not even Covid19 managed to stop the event though it did change it.  Last year it was held online.  The presentations and the Q & A discussions were, as always, excellent.  The only element that we missed was networking.  Cambridge is a place to learn but it is also a place to have fun.  In previous years, the event organizers Informa Connect had offered all sorts of evening entertainments from a black-tie dinner to punting on the Cam. It was not possible to present those activities online. Narinder Hayer, Informa Connect's organizer, told me that she had hoped to retur...

Author Basher Eyre Licence CC BY-SA 2.0  Source Wikipedia, Rolls Buildin g Jane Lambert Congratulations to Richard Meade QC on his appointment to the High Court bench (see the Judicial Appointments Commission press releas e of 4 Sept 2020).  He will take up his appointment on Monday.   As I said in  Appointments to the Court of Appeal   2 Aug 2020, Sir Colin Birss's elevation to the Court of Appeal gad left a vacancy in the Patents Court. It will now be filled by Richard Meade. Interestingly. the JAC press release stated that more High Court judge announcements will be made as the year progresses. In yesterday's communication to members of the IP Bar Association, Daniel Alexander QC congratulated Richard Meade and Sir Colin Birss but also reminded us of other appointments.  The Chancellor, Sir Geoffrey Vos, will be the new Master of the Rolls.   Simon Clark, Philip Harris and Brian Whitehead have been appointed to hear ...

In an email to the Intellectual Property Bar Association , our Chair Henry Carr QC reported that he and a party of other IP lawyers and patent attorneys visited 1000 Dockland Road, Royal Albert Dock, London E16 2QU last month. The reason for their visit is that the site has been identified as a possible venue for the London section of the central division of the Court of First Instance of the Unified Patent Court. The estate agents' particulars sound idyllic: "Fully accessible raised floor Suspended ceiling with 1.5m planning grid Cat 5 lighting Excellent natural light Views over Royal Albert Dock Four pipe fan coil air conditioning 7 underground car parking spaces and bicycle storage 3 passenger lifts Five-storey winter garden and building reception On site coffee shop, cafeteria and news agents."! Henry's note is also pretty encouraging: "1. The facility is, potentially, very good for a European Institution. The space is l...