Alasdair Poore, partner in our
technology and commerce team at national law firm Mills & Reeve, was formally elected President of the Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys at the annual general meeting on 19 May. He told members that, during his presidency, CIPA will continue to press for reforms to intellectual property (IP) enforcement and will address UK industry’s concerns about delays in some parts of the international IP system.
“CIPA members represent businesses ranging from the largest multinationals to individual inventors, universities, charities and government research,” he told his audience at the AGM, which took place at CIPA’s offices in Chancery Lane, London. “For all of them, intellectual property has become a key ingredient for success as it plays an ever more important part in promoting innovation and maintaining the competitiveness of the UK in international markets.”
The new CIPA president added that the institute will be working on all areas of intellectual property – pressing for implementation of reforms in enforcement procedures both in the UK and in Europe for patents, trade marks and other IP rights, and addressing delays in obtaining protection in patent offices throughout the world.
He also reassured patent attorneys that CIPA would continue to implement the new UK regulatory regime designed to ensure clients can continue to have confidence in patent attorneys.
“The IP profession’s new regulatory regime marks at least two achievements of the institute over many years,” he explained. “The first is that by having clear professional standards – in education and conduct – UK patent attorneys have established their professional reputation, not just in the UK but worldwide. The second is that patent attorneys are now clearly recognised as one of the legal professions in England.”
Alasdair Poore reminded his audience about CIPA’s work in promoting the UK’s IP interests internationally and pledged to continue his predecessors’ efforts to raise the UK profession’s profile abroad. “As a representative organisation, we have been working with institutes in other countries to promote the UK profession. That will grow in importance over the coming years. IP has changed from having a national focus and moved into a progressively international framework. It is vital that the Institute works to maintain the profile of the UK profession in an internationally competitive market. We have meetings with attorneys from China, Korea, Australia, Canada, the USA, Japan and many other places, as well as close interaction with those in Europe. I believe this should be a growing activity, so that the profile of the UK profession is as high as possible.”
Speaking just a few days after a group of over seventy newly-qualified patent attorneys were admitted to the profession,
Alasdair Poore urged younger members to get involved in shaping CIPA’s future direction. “We also want thoughts from newer members of the profession. Unless you come forward and say what we should do, CIPA’s council will fondly believe that its perception of the world is a completely accurate reflection of reality. Please disillusion us.”