Sunday Surprises

On a sunny Sunday morning in South Africa, this Kat brings you the latest news on all IP must-do's!

Conferences

The European Copyright Society Conference will host its annual conference on 15 May 2020 in Karlsruhe. 'Fundamental Rights and Copyright in the European Multi-Layer Legal System' is a topic that will lead to some interesting discussions. Find the programme here.

Join ACI’sWomen Leaders in IP Law Summit! Engage with IP law leaders who will cover all facets of IP, this May in Washington, DC. You’ll also uncover the confidence key to move up in the ranks to a position of power!

The 28th Annual Fordham IP Conference is postponed until June. More information on the important announcement is available here. 

The II International Congress on Artificial Intelligence and Intellectual Property is offering you an excuse to go to Madrid in October! Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the Congress was moved to October. The topic ‘In search of a legal framework to foster innovation in Europe’ will definitely be worth the wait!

Courses

You are invited to participate in the WIPO Distance Learning programme! WIPO offers a number of IP related short courses, which are listed here, in several languages. Register before 29 March 2020.

Writing the EQE’s and pre-EQE? Guy Waner and Iain Russell are offering special online refresher workshops, free of charge, to prepare candidates for the EQEs and pre-EQE. Find all the necessary information here.

Teachers of intellectual property from developing countries and countries with economies in transition, are invited to attend a two-week colloquium. The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and the World Trade Organization (WTO) are jointly organizing this event. Find more information here.

Events

LES Britain & Ireland is hosting two exciting events.  LES100 Training Course is an introductory course in the Licensing Executives Society’s Intellectual Asset Management Series and is designed for those who are relatively new to licensing. LES Britain & Ireland’s ‘Legal Trends Impacting Commercial IP Transactions’ seminar discusses the latest trends in the legal industry.

TIPLO has arranged a dinner debate on ‘The Supreme Court decision in the case of Shanks v Unilever which resulted in a £2M award to an employee inventor’. The debate will be held on 17 March 2020 at Gray’s Inn, from 6:45. The speakers are Gregory Bacon from Bristows, putting the employer’s case against such awards, and Tibor Gold from MBE, arguing in favour of the judgment. Tickets can be bought online or through email enquiries.

Young Intellectual Property Research Day (JJRPI) is held in Montpellier on Monday, 12 October 2020. Selected doctoral students will get the opportunity to present their work to a panel of teacher-researchers from several French and foreign universities for commentary. Submissions close 2 June 2020. For more information on the application, email the Institute Research Center (IRPI).

Traineeship and fellowship

The University of Oslo has two research fellowship positions available.  ‘CREATIVE IPR - History of Intellectual Property Rights in the Creative Industries’ will form the basis for your studies. The openings are for a PhD and Post-doctoral student respectively. The positions are funded by the European Research Council.

The Intellectual Property Research Institute of Australia (IPRIA) has opened applications for inaugural fellowships! Outstanding emerging researchers, who are within 10 years of PhD completion or have their first academic job, will be supported to visit Melbourne Law School to conduct innovative research into creators’ rights. Find more information about this opportunity here.

The European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) is offering traineeships! The traineeships give young graduates and professionals a chance to sample work at EUIPO and be part of a multicultural team. The deadline for applications is 22 March2020. More information about the types of traineeships and other important information is available here.

Other

Do you know a female tech hero? We do. Our own IPKat, Eleonora Rosati! December 2019 marked 100 years from when Sex Disqualification (Removal) Act 1919 received Royal Assent which allowed women to be admitted as solicitors and not to be barred from judicial office. In celebration thereof the SCL Women in Technology Law group asked members to nominate their female tech law heroes of today. See the list of all the female tech heroes here.

Submit your designs! DesignEuropa Awards celebrate excellence in design and design management among Registered Community Design (RCD) holders. Read more about the different categories and other important information here.

The Intellectual Property Office (IPO) has robust plans in place to maintain services for customers applying for rights during the Coronavirus outbreak. This includes extension on deadlines where legislation allows for such. Read more about it here.