This half-day course is intended primarily for solicitors with general, commercial, civil or commercial litigation practices who do not regard themselves as IP specialists but who nevertheless find themselves advising start-ups and other small businesses on how best to protect their investment in brands, design, technology and the creative works.
However, it should also be useful to practitioners who intend to specialize in IP and technology law but who have not yet done much IP or technology work. And even for experts it would be useful revision. We have aimed to make that course the best introduction to IP law on the market and priced at £25 + VAT we do not believe that anyone could offer better value except perhaps as a loss leader.
What will the Course Cover?
Essentially everything that can conveniently be fitted into 3 hours allowing for breaks and discussion. The course will be divided into 3 sessions:
- an overview on IP covering terminology, mine and various other people's definitions of IP, legislative and judicial policy, the IP system (TRIPS, the treaties, WIPO and institutions), sources of law, legislation, national and regional IP offices and the courts;
- obtaining intellectual property rights and exploiting them: contrasting IPR that arise automatically such as copyrights and design rights with registrable rights such as patents, trade marks and designs, the patent, trade mark and design registration processes, the cost of patenting and its advantages and disadvantages compared to trade secrets and design rights and the need for IP insurance, licensing and joint ventures and top tips for clients; and
- enforcing IP rights: how IPR are infringed, the methods of enforcement, remedies, CPR Part 63, PD63 and the Patents Court Guide, threats actions, costs of litigation and methods of funding and alternatives to litigation such as the UDRP for domain names and advisory opinions on validity and infringement from the UK-IPO.
There will of course be tea and comfort breaks and time for questions and discussion.
What about Handouts?
This is where we score over the competition. We don't just give delegates copies of the PowerPoint slides. Every delegate receives a 22 page resource pack containing the following materials:
- a table showing how each type of intellectual asset (i.e. brands, design, inventions etc) is protected in the UK and elsewhere;
- extracts from relevant statutes and cases on subsistence and infirngement of IP rights;
- a table of UK, European and international institutions governing particular types of IP right;
- a table showing relative costs of enforcement in the UK and other industrial countries
- a discussion on the Protocol on Interpretation of Art 69 of the European Convention and the changes brought about by the insertion of a new art 2;
- comparisons with the US doctrine of equivalents;
- extracts from The Code of Practice for pre-action conduct in intellectual property dispute
- s.74A and s.74B of the Patents Act 1977, and
- overview of the Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy.
In addition there will be a 4 page glossary covering everything from the Berne Convention to the WTO Agreement and a lost of Internet addresses for the main treaties, directives, statutes, practice directions and other materials such as the Code of Practice to the Chancery and Patent Court guides..
To facilitate comprehension there will be plenty of questions for discussion such as
"If a client came to you with a domain name dispute, in what circumstances would you advise him not to use the UDRP or similar scheme"
and
"Would you always advise a start-up to apply for a patent and if so why?"
Who will present the Course?
I will. Many of you are aware already that I know my stuff because you have instructed me. Those of you who don't know me,
- take a look at my profile above
- look around my website,
- read my articles on the IP/IT Update blog and website, in print and elsewhere;
- look up my reported cases in the Fleet Street and other reports and on the Internet; and
- my decisions as a domain name panellist on the WIPO website.
How will this Course benefit me?
A half-day course will not make you into an IP expert but it will give you a really good start. It should be a lot easier to understand the text books, statutes and cases when you have to look up the law in a hurry. You should be able to appreciate correspondence from patent agents and solicitors on the other side a lot better. You will be able to instruct specialist counsel more effectively and make better use of their advice. It will qualify you for slightly more advanced courses such as our intriductions to patents, copyrights, trade mark and design registration which we shall present later in the year as well as advanced courses on licensing, IP litigation and other topics. All of these courses function as building blocks for a qualification which we shall ask a university to accredit.
CPD Accreditation
We have applied to the Solicitors Regulation Authority for accreditation of this course and should receive our assessment by 19 September 2008. If all goes well I should be able to award 2 1/2 hours points. As a practising barrister I can also award CPD points for counsel.
Venue
The course will take place at Gumption's boardroom which you can see in the picture above. You will find Gumption at
Glydegate
Bradford
Telephone 01274 299300
It is almost opposite Bradford ice rink and about 100 yards from the National Media Museum. There are inexpensive pay and display car parks at Wilton Street and behind the National Media Museum. If you arrive by bus or rail, Gumption is a short walk form Bradford Interchange bus and railway station.
How to Book
As you can see from the photo above, space is limited to 14 including me so if you want to book you had better book early. You can apply for a place right now by filling out the electronic form below. Alternatively, you can print out the form below and post it to together with your cheque for £29.38 payable to NIPC Ltd. for the attention of Ms. Toni Wilson.
NIPC Ltd
The Media Centre
7 Northumberland Street
Huddersfield
HD1 1RL
Tel 0870 990 5081
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IP Foundation Course
Gumption Centres Brandford
2 Oct 2008, 14:00 - 17:00
Please reserve me a place on the above course. I enclose my cheque for £29.38 payable to NIPC Ltd.
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