Upcoming CIPA webinar on the Mercer Review, 29 Oct 2021

CIPA is holding a webinar to discuss the Mercer Review at 12:30, on 29 October 2021 (Friday). Sign-up for the webinar here. 

The Mercer Review was recently published in here.  The Review included a list of recommendations to improve training and examination (IPKat). Many of these recommendations were welcome, particularly the recommendations to improve access to the profession, continue the use of online examinations, and potentially align with the eEQE system, and to change to a limited open-book format. 

Webinar

On the other hand, the Review is also somewhat lacking in detail on how the more aspirational recommendations could be implemented, and on the timescale for change. Successful implementation of the Mercer Review's recommendations may thus be difficult to determine. There was further a disappointing lack of any radical change to the Final Diploma examinations, other than the rather vague recommendations that each examination should be limited to its "core area", and be no more than 4 hours long. Still other recommendations of the Mercer Review are somewhat bizarre, particularly the suggestion that mark schemes for the exams should no longer be provided (how will this improve training and transparency?). There also appears to be no obligation on PEB to accept the recommendations of the review (although IPKat would be happy to be corrected on this). 

The panel for the webinar consists of contributors to the review, including Chris Mercer himself, as well as Vicki Salmon, Parminder Lally (CIPA Council), Lindsay Pike (Honorary Secretary of the CIPA Informals) and Lee Davies (CIPA CEO). Despite what might be assumed from this panel, the Review was conducted independently of CIPA governance. It will be interesting to hear how the panel envisages implementation of the Mercer Reviews recommendations. 

Hopefully the webinar will also include an opportunity to put questions to the panel, and CIPA should be thanked for providing a forum for further discussion of the Review. CIPA counsel is also accepting written comments on the Mercer Review report, which should be sent to CIPA’s Chief Executive, Lee Davies, by 31 December 2021 (charlotte@cipa.org.uk). 

Update, 27 Oct 2021: There will be a Q&A /chat box open throughout the webinar for attendees to submit comments and questions.

Further reading

26 Feb 2019: 2018 FD4 (P6 - Infringement and Validity) Pass Mark Reduced

8 March 2019: Gantry-gate: CIPA releases statement on FD4/P6 (Infringement and Validity)

4 Feb 2020: Gantry-Gate: Have your say in the Mercer Review

13 April 2021: EPO plans radical shake-up of EQEs 2024 onwards

8 Oct 2021: Mercer Review on UK patent attorney exams released