tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5574479.post4767890988553856895..comments2024-03-29T06:53:23.405+00:00Comments on The IPKat: Turn again Whittingdale -- and does Razzall Dazzle?Verónica Rodríguez Arguijohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05763207846940036921noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5574479.post-30045539674378209642010-08-11T13:31:57.370+01:002010-08-11T13:31:57.370+01:00News : The Tragic Demise of Frere Cholmeley Bischo...News : The Tragic Demise of Frere Cholmeley Bischoff<br /><br />May 13 1998<br /><br />Famous City of London legal name Frere Cholmeley Bischoff is no more. Last week the 45-partner firm ceased to exist after half of the partners left to join national UK firm Eversheds, and several others formed a new specialist private client/property firm Forsters. Most of the remaining partners and assistants have joined other firms in London. The collapse came after the firm found itself under severe pressure for several years. A substantial overdraft, and the international expansion into Berlin, Dubai and Barcelona in the early 1990s (followed by the subsequent closure of these foreign offices) are the most often cited reasons for the firm overstretching itself. Many in the legal world have seen the sad end of Frere Cholmeley as a warning to other medium-sized firms, highlighting the pitfalls of over expansion, and failure to concentrate and focus on a core practice.Citygeeknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5574479.post-58636458809771846962010-08-11T13:27:07.151+01:002010-08-11T13:27:07.151+01:00This All Party Group provides an extremely useful ...This All Party Group provides an extremely useful entree to parliamentarians on IP matters. It was not so long ago that finding an MP with an interest in IP was like finding a needle in a haystack. The Group hosted a very helpful meeting with a DTI Minister a few years ago on parasitic product packaging and proved influential.John Noblenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5574479.post-56549200220785758172010-08-11T12:24:44.473+01:002010-08-11T12:24:44.473+01:00Would that be the same Frere Cholmeley that collap...Would that be the same Frere Cholmeley that collapsed in the 1990's - reportedly through financial difficulties and imprudent expansion ? I recall that some of the partners who went down with the ship were rerscued by HMS Eversheds. Again, only what I read of course.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5574479.post-65390076261505039832010-08-11T10:39:51.775+01:002010-08-11T10:39:51.775+01:00Rumour has it that Tim Razzall (as he then was) is...Rumour has it that Tim Razzall (as he then was) is a former partner of Frere Cholmeley. His credentials to represent the IP community are impeccable.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5574479.post-88836724872069251482010-08-09T16:35:27.108+01:002010-08-09T16:35:27.108+01:00Hello
I’m delighted that the All Party IP Group ha...Hello<br />I’m delighted that the All Party IP Group has come to the attention of the IPKat. The Group has been a very useful forum for raising IP issues with parliamentarians. Previous activity has included a session on the Digital Economy Bill where MPs and Peers heard from, amongst others, authors, film set construction managers and football development managers how online copyright infringement is effecting them, an inquiry into the (previous) Government’s progress in implementing the Gowers Recommendations (the report of which can be found at http://www.allpartyipgroup.org.uk/pdfs/Gowers.pdf), and evidence sessions on the problem of fakes being sold at markets and the impact IP crime has on local communities. <br />The Group had to be reconstituted following the General Election which is why some of the details are little out of date. This has now taken place and new information will be posted shortly. We are delighted that John Whittingdale is the new Chairman of the Group. John has a long history supporting IP industries. He is Chairman of the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee and previously tabled a Private Members Bill which sought to address the problem of counterfeits being sold at markets and car boot sales. <br />I’ll happily post dates of future meetings on the blog.Susie Winternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5574479.post-12512992733963276342010-08-07T17:10:38.341+01:002010-08-07T17:10:38.341+01:00As always, there is much self interest behind Parl...As always, there is much self interest behind Parliamentarians' Westminster activities. Lord Colwyn, of course, is well know for blowing his trumpet all over the capital. The Daily Telegraph informed readers last year ,that the noble Lord is also not above jazzing up his Lords allowances. If I remember correctly, there was a nod and a wink reference to his forgetfulness over where he lives, many thought it was Chelsea - we were all wrong ! Another member of the IP gang, Lord Razzle, also earned a few column inches for his ability to maximize every single penny from the taxpayers' generous Lords allowances scheme. Birds of a feather ...........erasmushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12274500606089343181noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5574479.post-13750952918691874902010-08-07T08:55:46.324+01:002010-08-07T08:55:46.324+01:00Lord Razzall has experience of patents. He camp...Lord Razzall has experience of patents. He campaigned successfully for the names of inventors to be kept secret if they desired; he was supported by Earl Attlee. This has always been possible for European patents but our Patent Office, now IPO, has resisted following the EPO lead strenuously for many years.Guynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5574479.post-72872761057467583842010-08-06T15:09:27.292+01:002010-08-06T15:09:27.292+01:00John Whittingdale MP is well known to the live mus...John Whittingdale MP is well known to the live music sector - but not necessarily for IP! John was and is still Chair of the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee. Before the election he and Lord (Tim) Clement Jones (Liberal Democrat), among others, were fairly effective in pointing out some of the more nonsensical parts of the Licensing Act 2003 which had for long time been criticised for stiffling the development of small bands and grass roots music - in particular New Labour's decision to scrap the old 'two in a bar' rule where one or two usually acoustic folk and jazz musicians could play in a pub, community hall or other small venue without the need for a Licence. I hope that that change will now be reversed and some of the bureaucracy removed!Ben Challishttp://www.musiclawupdates.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5574479.post-85563774909624117062010-08-06T14:52:43.272+01:002010-08-06T14:52:43.272+01:00Thanks to Chris Torrero we now have a email addres...Thanks to Chris Torrero we now have a email address for John Whittingdale: whittingdalej@parliament.ukJeremyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01123244020588707776noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5574479.post-10683720570036788952010-08-06T13:39:32.134+01:002010-08-06T13:39:32.134+01:00Given the secretarial support, worth noting that t...Given the secretarial support, worth noting that the only parliamentary activity listed on the group's website are two EDMs: one in June 2008, congratulating the Aliance against Intellectual Property Theft, and one in October 2008, welcoming the release of the last James Bond movies and, er, perpetuating the idea that "...such films are particularly vulnerable to theft through illegal recording in cinema auditoria..." before calling "...on the Government to introduce as a matter of urgency legislation specifically to make such activities a criminal offence".<br /><br />Any support the Alliance is providing certainly seems to be proving cost-effective in making their case in parliament.Matthew Taylorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12421362491742820756noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5574479.post-18127105968365629972010-08-06T13:17:33.006+01:002010-08-06T13:17:33.006+01:00Yet another governmental legal website, full of th...Yet another governmental legal website, full of the best intentions, with neither the requisite knowledge, funding nor staffing to take itself onto the web. <br /><br />Of course, there are three main flaws to what I just said: first, the requisite knowledge is minimal given that it is splattered across the web already; second, it costs pocket money to maintain and develop a wesbite these days; and third, and perhaps most importantly, it takes one person to run the thing, not a group of elite parlimanetarians.<br /><br />This blawgger has just about had it with the ineptitude of some in the public sector; others, however, are providing a great service: take, for instance, the new legislation.gov.uk website or the supreme court's website (which, to be fair, could be doing with an RSS feed, just like the US Supreme Court's one. A 10 year old could copyKat such developments). It's a good job we have websites like the IPKat which can actually sustain a decent page ranking!<br /><br />Gavin Ward<br />Wardblawg LimitedWardBlawg (Gavin Ward)https://www.blogger.com/profile/05029437182287166340noreply@blogger.com