Have a niche time! New inductees to the IP Hall of Fame 2015

The names of this year's five inductees to the IP Hall of Fame have now been announced.  If they were truly famous, readers would all of heard of them already and they'd need no introduction or explanation.  However, with the exception of a few prominent sportsmen, political leaders, stars of screen and stage and syndicated cartoon characters, hardly anyone is so well known that they can be mentioned without some handy form of reference. Even the best-known people on the planet suffer the occasional indignity of being the subject of an inquiry as to their identity, as occurred when British judge James Pickles famously asked an astonished Court: "who are the Beatles?"


In the world of intellectual property, fame is a niche concept. Indeed, for most of thos who inhabit that sphere, fame is a niche within a niche since IP practice has become increasingly specialised by area of legal application and professional calling. So patent people know each other but may not have a clue as to the identity of leading copyright personalities. Likewise, professors of IP can easily name many of their own species but may struggle to name leading practitioners.  Anyway, to cut to the chase, this year's inductees are
  • Paul Goldstein: a leading US copyright scholar, lawyer and author, Paul has a truly creative streak. His non-fiction output three novels, the most recent of which received the Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction. Of Counsel at Morrison & Foerster, Paul is a professor at Stanford Law School where he has twice been awarded for excellence in teaching. 
  • Frederick Mostert: past INTA President and former chief IP counsel of luxury group Richemont, Frederik is an authority on trade mark law whose published oeuvre includes Famous and Well-known Marks - An International Analysis. A research fellow at St Peter’s College, Oxford and guest professor at Peking University, Frederik has also dedicated effort in supporting a charity that takes children from sweat shops and puts them into the educational system.
  • Des Ryan: a leading Australian IP lawyer, Des has spent more than 60 years with law firm Davies Collison Cave The recipient of numerous awards for his contribution to IP, including the prestigious Order of Australia in 2001, he is former president of the Institute of Patent Attorneys and of the Licensing Executives Society International. Des has also lectured in IP law at the University of Melbourne and today continues his legal practice in the capacity of consultant to Davies Collison Cave.
  • Nikola Tesla: a Serbian-American inventor best known for his contribution to the modern alternating current electricity supply system, Nikola was also instrumental in early developments of radar, x-rays and radio transmissions (the Tesla coil is still used in radio technology today). Upon his arrival in the United States, Nikola worked briefly with his subsequent rival Thomas Edison and later sold a number of patents which were later developed by the Westinghouse Corporation. He died in New York City in 1943 aged 86 [Curiously, notes Merpel, Nikola Tesla's name lives on today through at least two posthumous things: Tesla Motors and OMD's 1984 classic Tesla Girls]
  • As to the fifth, this moggy couldn't possibly say ...
Have a niche time! New inductees to the IP Hall of Fame 2015 Have a niche time!  New inductees to the IP Hall of Fame 2015 Reviewed by Merpel on Saturday, April 04, 2015 Rating: 5

12 comments:

  1. > Jeremy Phillips: Influential IP blogger and academic. Phillips was one the founders of the highly popular IPKat blog and continues to contribute to it on a regular basis.. He has also been responsible for launching a number of IP publications including Managing Intellectual Property. He currently serves as IP consultant to Olswang LLP, and is a professorial fellow at Queen Mary IP Institute in London. He oversees the social media for European trademark association MARQUES, acts as editor of the Journal of Intellectual Property Law & Practice and the European Trade Mark Reports, and works on select IP research projects.

    Congratulation!

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  2. During a lecture about English law at QMC many years ago, the lecturer gave examples of some of the things that judges were deemed to know and not know. Judges were deemed to know all the laws of England, and could have their memories refreshed during a case. One of the things that Judges were deemed not to know, was anything about show business personalities, and would specifically need to be informed about them. The lecturer said that this was why the judge was obliged to ask "Who are the Beatles?".

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  3. Warmest congratulations to Jeremy Phillips for being inducted into the IP Hall of Fame!!
    Well deserved !!

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  4. Just about anybody could have a company or a song named after them. Very few, however, have earned the privilege of having an important physical quantity named after them. The Tesla is the SI derived unit of magnetic flux density (symbol T). This puts Tesla on the same level as James Watt.

    And Jeremy Phillips, of course! Congratulations.

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  5. I can't think of a more worthy candidate for the Hall of Fame. Many congratulations, Jeremy.

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  6. Congratulations Jeremy. What I see is a modest, generous and kindly demeanour fused with astonishing stamina, enthusiasm and energy. The combination is estimable and inspiring.

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  7. Congratulations. Well deserved

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  8. Well done, Jeremy. Now we need to get Merpel inducted.

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  9. Also a BIG cheer for Des Ryan, one of my sponsors for Fellowship of the Institute of Patent Attorneys of Australia in days long gone. A learned and fine gentleman

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  10. See, the conqu’ring feline comes!
    Sound the trumpets, beat the drums!

    Lecturer and blogger
    Prof at Queen Mary
    Editor of journals
    On all things IP

    With apologies to George Frideric Handel:

    See, the conqu’ring feline comes!
    Sound the trumpets, beat the drums!

    Normal cats have nine lives
    You don’t need the same
    ‘Cos you’ve gone one better
    In the Hall of Fame!

    See, the conqu’ring feline comes!
    Sound the trumpets, beat the drums!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Despite the unfortunate circumstances that originally led me to the IPKat blog, I have since become an avid reader. I am thoroughly impressed by the depth and breadth of the many articles. Who knew copyright and trademark law could be so fascinating?!

    Hats off to Mr Phillips!

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  12. Congratulations. Truly deserved.

    Fan from India,
    Sandeep

    ReplyDelete

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