NIPC Law

Tom Duke - UK Attaché in China Jane Lambert On 19 Sept 2017 I chaired two seminars on IP rights in China for businesses, lawyers and patent and trade mark attorneys in Yorkshire. One took place in Leeds in the studios of Northern Ballet and Phoenix Dance Theatre  and the other in the Barnsley Business and Innovation Centre . Both were attended by leaders in business, education and the arts including, in particular, Phoenix's artistic director,  Sharon Watson , who was about to visit China with a view to bringing her company to that country. The main speaker at those talks was Tom Duke who is our IP attaché to China and Hong Kong.  Tom is one of four officials who work with the Department for International Trade (DIT) and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) to provide support for UK businesses seeking advice on local IP matters.  The other three are Christabel Koh  in Singapore who covers South East Asia, Angelica Garcia in Brazi...

“Designing the Future” is the theme of this year’s World Intellectual Property Day 2011. In his message , Francis Gurry, the Director General of the WIPO, said: “Design touches every aspect of human creativity. It shapes the things we appreciate from traditional crafts to consumer electronics; from buildings and bicycles to fashion and furniture. Design has been called “intelligence made visible”. Design is where form meets function. It determines the look and feel of the products we use each day – from everyday household items to the latest tablet computers. Design marries the practical with the pleasing. It brings style to innovation.” In everyday language design can refer either to an object’s appearance or to the way it works. Thus, we speak of “fashion design” and “engine design”. The former is ornamental and the latter functional. Most countries protect ornamental design by one means or another. For example, EU member states are required by art 3 (1) of Directive 98/71...