Guest Blog: Dr Brian More, IP Commercialisation Director
26th April marks World Intellectual Property Day 2016. It is interesting to note that IP has reached the necessary recognition and standing to have a whole day dedicated to it globally each year.
What’s in a name – New EUIPO – What Does the Future Hold?
Several notable developments involving IP are happening in the near future. This month sees a new European IP Office replacing the Community Trademark with the European Trademark and the Registered Community Design with the European Registered Design. What impact this will have on us all and what difference this will make will no doubt be revealed in the coming months. Europe is obviously a hot topic currently and one needs to ponder on what exactly would it mean for IP in the UK if Brexit happens? The biggest impact I can think of is the enormous difficulty there would be in maintaining IP licensing to Europe as well as the export challenges that would result. An additional concern is the scenario of the UK voting to leave Europe and Scotland subsequently voting to stay, which could mean their own independent IPO, opening up options for new features like utility patents for Scotland, and reducing revenue for the rest of the UK.
Universities and Industry – Just getting the IP contracts right first time
It is a well known fact that traditionally research collaborations between industry, public sector organisations and universities are known to be fertile sources of new products and services. However, a major barrier to more collaborations is often cited as “difficulty in agreeing the IP terms between parties”. In an attempt to substantially remove this obstacle, the Lambert Group have modified and extended these agreements and are due to relaunch them this year. If you would like to know more about this or discuss how these new agreements could benefit us working together, please get in touch.
A word about the Nagoya Protocol – IP and Biological Diversity – protecting Developing Countries
The Nagoya protocol was entered into on the 12th October 2014 aimed at preventing bio-piracy that is the commercial or academic development of generic resources, without consent from, or providing fair compensation to the people or country where the resource was first discovered. This has consequences for academia and industries where they conduct research with or use generic materials in their products. Often in contravention of the Nagoya Protocol, are you up to date with the Nagoya Protocol and other conventions on biological diversity?
I would be interested to get your thoughts on any of these topics – and all others IP related and I can be contacted on:
Tel: 07974984928 Email: BMore@cad.coventry.ac.uk
