No other platform could have allowed me to engage in my passion for IP, sometimes in the form of (hopefully) hard-nosed analysis, other times as flights of intellectual fancy, with whispers of "quirky" in the background.
When founder Jeremy Phillips asked me to join IPKat, Gordon Brown was Prime Minister, Alex Ferguson was manager of Manchester United, and WhatsApp wasn't. It took time to find my authorial voice in the blog format, during which Jeremy was both helpful and supportive.
Until my last day on IPKat, I continue to ask: am I up to the task? You put yourself out for all to see, and you are only as good (or bad) as your last blog post. And there is also your day job to think about; not once would Mrs. Kat ask: what really was my day job?
My most difficult moment: trying to explain to one of my children why we spell the name of the blog with a "K" rather than a "C".
The IPKat team has been a source of pride and satisfaction. I have watched it expand in number and embrace members from around the world. I have relished the opportunity to work with its talented members, past and present, both to nurture and support as well as to learn. It is because of you that the IPKat has become a unique resource for the IP world.
Thanks also to IPKat readers. It is your engagement with our contents that has enabled us to create a unique IP community, making our efforts worthwhile. I was delighted to be able to help in this endeavor.
All that is left is to mount my pony and ride off into the IP sunset.
Farewell
Reviewed by Neil Wilkof
on
Tuesday, June 27, 2023
Rating:
Reviewed by Neil Wilkof
on
Tuesday, June 27, 2023
Rating:
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Posts
Dear Neil,
ReplyDeleteYou will be missed. As a longtime reader, I loved your intersting contributions and your witty remarks. Simply by reading a few lines, I normally recognized you as the author of the posts and I knew from the start that I would find something funny and/or thought provoking.
Kind regards,
Pedro
Dear Neil,
ReplyDeleteThank you for these three years that I've been under your supervision! We will miss you a lot in the team.
Kind regards,
Anastasiia
Now I am wondering why you spell it with a K. Please enlighten me!
ReplyDeleteTo be honest, it was just a little bit of harmless attention-seeking!
DeleteNeil, you were my IP guru ever since I launched Trademark World back in 1986. We received fulsome plaudits and undeserved praise from across the world. But from you I got a detailed list of criticisms, all of which were justified. At that point you became my friend for life. It was a pleasure to work on the blog with you, despite your affection for American sports metaphors and your obsession with pstychedelic Louis Wain cats. Enjoy your retirement and don't worry about the K. You are by no means the only person to have pondered this point: https://www.quora.com/What-happens-when-you-replace-the-c-in-America-with-a-k
ReplyDeleteWishing you all the best, Neil!
ReplyDeleteThank you Neil! We loved and learned from your posts. From the colour of a bus driver's shirt, to medieval writs, mathematical conundrums and bagels, we (and our children) shared in the magic of the IP world and will continue to do so. Thank you to all at IPKat for inspiring and sharing!
ReplyDeleteSending my heartfelt wishes and thoughts over to you Neil! I am so incredibly blessed to have had an opportunity to know you and to learn from you. Have a wonderful pony ride and lots of good health! Keep in touch!
ReplyDeleteThank you Neil! I always enjoyed reading your posts. There was always some interesting angle in them. All the very best.
ReplyDelete