Looking to catch up with the latest trade mark news? Here's the 2020 edition of Retromark

Readers who follow all things trade marks will be aware that every 6 months The IPKat hosts a round-up of the most recent trade mark decisions as prepared by Darren Meale at Simmons & Simmons: Retromark [see here and here for the most recent issues]. On a yearly basis, Retromark also becomes a conference where topical issues and developments are discussed.

The IPKat is glad to say that Retromark is returning for its third year with another afternoon of trade mark law and practice on Tuesday, 24 March 2020. We will be again joining forces with Darren and a range of speakers to probe at some of the most important issues in trade marks today.

The event will take place at Simmons’ London office in Moorgate from 2pm, culminating in drinks and canapés. The preliminary agenda is below and will be updated with additional speaker details in due course. The event has always sold out pretty quickly, so register while you can. You can sign up here (registration is free but there is also an option to add a donation to Pancreatic Cancer UK when you get your ticket).

14:00-14:30 – Registration

14:30-14:40 – Introduction and welcome

14:40-15:40 – Panel 1 – “If you could change one thing in trade mark law, what would it be?”

Moderator: Eleonora Rosati, Associate Professor in Intellectual Property Law at Stockholm University and Of Counsel at Bird & Bird

Panellists: 

Ed Lucas, Manager, Legal Brand Protection at GSK 

Frederick Mostert, President of the Luxury Law Alliance and past INTA president, Professor of Practice at King’s College, London 

William Corbett, Senior Legal Counsel (IP and Litigation) at Sky 

Additional panellist to be announced

15:40-16:00 – Retromark: the Gameshow (aka Beat the Robot), Darren Meale, Simmons partner and Deputy District Judge

16:00-16:30 – Coffee/tea break

16:30-17:15 – Keynote address, Allan James, Senior Hearing Officer at the UK Intellectual Property Office

17:15-18:15 – Panel 2 – “How to win and how to lose trade mark cases – tales from the court room”

Moderator: Darren Meale

Panellists: 

Her Honour Judge Melissa Clarke, Senior Circuit Judge, Designated Civil Judge for Thames Valley, Beds & Herts at the Courts of England Wales 

Amanda Michaels, Deputy High Court Judge, Recorder, Appointed Person and Barrister at Hogarth Chambers 

Douglas Campbell QC, Deputy High Court Judge, Recorder and Barrister at 3 New Square 

Additional panellist to be announced

18:15-19:30 – Drinks and canapés

The first panel will look at what we might change about trade mark law – big picture ideas and the little details all up for discussion. The second panel will entail a “tales from the bench” discussion about what advocates and parties do well and do badly in presenting trade mark cases.