Saturday Sundries

* WIPO Roving Seminar

There is still time to reserve a place at the Italian Roving Seminar on WIPO services, which will take place in Bari on 5 July 2017. There is no charge for registering or attending. In addition to the presentations and panel discussions, there will be opportunities for networking during the coffee break and lunch break. [Please note, these events and all documentation will be in English]

Additional information, such as the seminar’s program and a link to the registration page, can be found on the WIPO site here. Please find attached the flyer for this event. 

Melting weather,
the passion for IP...

* New blog on the scene

Bart Van Besien started a new blog on IP rights

English version at https://finniancolumba.be/en/blog-2/

Dutch version at https://finniancolumba.be/blog/).

* Story
Seven celebrities who are (or were) also inventors

* Conference

The online registration for the EIPTN 2017 conference at LUND UNIVERSITY on 28-30 June 2017 is now open via the conference webpage. To register to attend please go to here.

* Job opportunity

The Board of the British Copyright Council is looking to recruit a Director of Policy and Public Affairs: see details here. The role is a part-time one and on a contract basis rather than employee.

* A new IBIL Scholarship opportunity

This is to fund a PhD student at UCL Faculty of Laws to undertake research in a field relating to intellectual property law. Details can be found here.

* Debate on IP law in post-Brexit Britain

On Thursday 29 June at 6:00pm, Collyer Bristow will host its annual IP Debate at its Bedford Row art gallery. This year’s Motion is “This House believes that IP law in post-Brexit Britain will benefit from leaving the binding jurisdiction of the ECJ”. Proposing the Motion is Martin Howe QC, supported by Dr Gunnar Beck, Reader in law at SOAS. Opposing the Motion is Prof. Lionel Bently of Cambridge University and Prof. Tania Aplin of KCL. The Debate will be chaired by Sir Richard Arnold. A full house of 70 attendees have registered already but there is some standing room available for anyone who would like to attend but has not yet registered by responding to events@collyerbristow.com. A report on the outcome of the Debate will follow.

* Does Size Matter? What can firms (large and small) do to welcome LGBT people?

Creating a welcoming atmosphere can be crucial to help employees and colleagues be themselves in the workplace. Kindly hosted by our friends at Fieldfisher, with speakers Jay Wetterau and Mathieu Pinot Cardoso, Diversity and Inclusion Professionals at Fieldfisher, and Rhiannon Turner and Rachel Wallis, partners and patent attorneys at Greaves Brewster. Over half the tickets are already sold, so don’t delay – sign up now!

When: Tuesday 18th July, 6pm arrival for a 6.30pm start. Event finishes at 9pm.

Where: Fieldfisher, Riverbank House, 2 Swan Lane, London EC4R 3TT

Brought to you in association with IP Inclusive, working to improve diversity and inclusion in the IP profession. Read more about IP Out here (and sign up to our mailing list).

* Conference 

The Rotterdam Connection

When: 23, 24, 25 September

More information can be found here.

* Ventsi Stoilov reports ...

That the General Court of the EU ruled in Case T 638/15 Alcohol Countermeasure Systems (International) Inc. v EUIPO. The case concerns an invalidation procedure against an EU trade mark ALCOLOCK, which was based on an earlier UK trade mark ALCOLOCK, in light of Article 53(1)(a) in conjunction with Article 8(1)(a) and (b) EUTMR.

The Board of Appeal decided that the applicant proved a genuine use of its mark on the territory of the UK. The reasons behind this conclusion were that the owner of the earlier mark submitted sufficient pieces of evidence. One of them was the fact that applicant acted as a licensee using a similar mark for identical goods. In addition to that, the applicant showed a selection of invoices, accompanied by purchase orders and email requests, a selection of press articles and advertisements, together with invoices for placing them.

Although the invoices revealed sells for only 350 breathalyser devices during the relevant periods, according to the Board this was sufficient taking into account the nature of these products.

The General Court upheld this decision.

Photo courtesy of Miss Ana Ramalho.