21 July 2017

Meet our IP Attaché to China

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Jane Lambert

Mr Tom Duke is our IP Attaché to China. His job is to build relations with the Chinese government to understand and actively engage with IP policy makers in that country.  He is part of a network of British IP attachés in Brazil, India and South East Asia which has significantly increased the level of support available for UK businesses operating in those markets. Based in the British Embassy in Beijing he supports over 200 companies each year on IP strategies and on dealing with problems such as infringement whenever they arise.

Every year Mr Duke and his colleagues hold a series of business outreach events across the UK called the “China IP Roadshow” with the aim of raising awareness of protecting IP in China amongst (potential) UK exporters and companies involved in other types of business/innovation collaborations with Chinese partners. This year they plan to visit Yorkshire as well as Scotland, Liverpool, Manchester and London.

Mr Duke will be in Yorkshire on 19 Sept 2017 and plans to speak in Leeds morning and Barnsley in the afternoon.  His talk in Leeds will take place in the boardroom of Northern Ballet and the provisional programme is as follows:


09:30 -  10:00
Registration and networking
10:00 - 10:30
Tom Duke, British Embassy Beijing/UK Intellectual Property Office “Succeeding in China – How to mitigate IP risk”
10:30 - 11:30
Other presentations, questions and answer and discussions
11:30 - 12:00
One to one meetings (please request at time of registration)

The Barnsley meeting will take place at the Barnsley Business and Innovation Centre and will follow a similar format:



14:30 -  15:00
Registration and networking
15:00 - 15:30
Tom Duke, British Embassy Beijing/UK Intellectual Property Office “Succeeding in China – How to mitigate IP risk”
15:30 - 16:00
Questions and answer and discussions
16:00 - 16: 30
One to one meetings (please request at time of registration)
According to the WIPO China has a population of 1,371 million and a GDP of US $18,374.71 which is even bigger than that of the USA in terms of purchasing power parity, In 2015 there were nearly a million applications to the SIPO for patents for Chinese inventions. That is more than the applications made to their national patent office by the inventors of any other country. China is an important innovator and shares our national interest in ensuring proper protection for brands, designs, inventions and creative works around the world.

Mr Duke will tell you all about registration of patents, designs and trade marks in China and Hong Kong, licensing and joint ventures and enforcement through the courts and tribunals. As the new Business and Property Courts will launch in Leeds and other major cities I will tell you all about your contractual and IP rights, remedies and liabilities in respect of your dealings with Chinese partners here.

Space is limited at both venues and demand is likely to be heavy. If you want to be sure of your place, call Steve on +44 (0)20 7404 5252 and ask to reserve a place at either venue or send me a message through my contact form.

12 July 2017

The Leeds Business and Property Courts

Leeds Courthouse
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Jane Lambert

On Monday 10 July 2017, the Leeds Law Society held a reception at BPP Law School to launch the Business and Property Courts in Leeds (see Leeds Law Society Business & Property Court Launch Event).  The Business and Property Courts is an amalgam of the chancery and commercial courts sitting in Leeds and the idea is to integrate those courts with others sitting in London. I mentioned this initiative and discussed its potential significance to the economy of the North in Launch of a Judicial Superhighway?  12 June 2017 IP North West).

As I said in that article, litigators and advocates will have to get used to listing cases in one of 11 specialist lists one of which will be "Intellectual Property" regardless of the nature of the IP right and the court in which the action will proceed.  Having chosen a list the claimant's legal representative will have to choose a court centre where the claim will be issued and where it is to proceed. Advocates will have to get used to settling statements of case in the "Business and Property Courts in Leeds" rather than the name of the Division and the District Registry,

The reason why I say this development affects more than just lawyers is that it should allow any case to be heard in Leeds no matter how big and regardless of the subject matter.  If any kind of work can be done in Leeds there will be less incentive for bright young men and women to leave the city to practise in London. Such lawyers should be able to service entrepreneurs and other creative people which may be far more significant for economic regeneration than the millions to be spent on infrastructure projects for the North.

Should you want to discuss this post or dispute litigation in Leeds generally, call me on 020 7404 5252 or send me a message through my contact form.