Bristol Innovation Group: Street2Boardroom

Standard YouTube Licence

Jane Lambert

I have just mentioned the Bristol Innovators Group in my NIPC Inventors Club blog.  I was unable to find a website for the group but I have found their YouTube channel.  It has published two videos including an interview with Clayton Planter who has founded a project in Bristol called Street2Boardroom.

According to its website,

"Street2Boardroom is designed for young people (18+) and adults who find themselves caught in a range of illegal activities, giving them the skills, knowledge and confidence to apply what they have learned from the street – to learn the legal hustle!"

Street2Boardroom offers a 4-week course to teach basic business skills and mentoring.  The course is open to anyone who would like to turn his or her life around and learn how to set up and run his or her own business.  A YouTube video entitled Street2Boardroom trailer.

Mr Planter founded Street 2 Boardroom in 2016. He describes himself on Linkedin as "creative entrepreneur, Consultant, Coach, Educator & Speaker: Board member on U.W.E Business & Law advisory board."  Before setting up Street 2 Bedroom he worked with young people and adults from disadvantaged backgrounds and helping them realize their potential.

This interview shows that the Bristol Innovation Group embraces innovation and enterprise in the widest possible sense.  They are interested not just in technology and business but in their society as well. Something that clubs and groups in other places might wish to consider for themselves.

Every community of the UK has disadvantaged groups. Not just big cities but big, medium-size and even small towns and villages. Mr Planter cannot be everywhere but he may be able to inspire and encourage others to follow his example.

Small Claims Track IP Litigation in Bristol and Cardiff

Author Ham II Licence CC BY-SA 3.0 Source Wikipedia Cardiff Crown Court

Jane Lambert

One of the most interesting announcements of the new Intellectual Property Enterprise Court Guide is the decision to appoint from October 2019 district judges to hear small intellectual property claims in Bristol and Cardiff (see The New IPEC Guide 4 July 2019 NIPC News).

The cases that those district judges will be entitled to hear pursuant to CPR 63.27 will be claims for £10,000 or less for the infringement of intellectual property rights other than patents, registered and registered Community designs, semiconductor topographies and plant varieties. In Small IP Claims, I gave examples of cases that might be suitable for the small claims track and of others that would not.  The claimant must ask for the claim to be allocated to the small claims track in its particulars of claim and no objection should be raised by the defendant.   However, even if a case falls within the jurisdiction of the small claims track and the parties want it to stay there, the court may transfer it to the multitrack if it is likely to take more than a day to try or there is a difficult point of law or factual issue to decide.

Proceedings in the small claims track are governed by CPR Part 27 and the Part 27 Practice Direction as modified by CPR 63.27 and CPR 63.28 and paragraph 63.32 of the Part 63 Practice Direction.  Though successful claimants can obtain final injunctions and orders for delivery up of infringing materials as well as damages or accountable profits they cannot claim interim injunctions.  Liability and the amount of any damages or other pecuniary relief to be awarded are decided at the same time.  Directions are given automatically in accordance with Appendix B or C of the Part 27 Practice Direction after statements of case are exchanged and although the court has power under CPR 27.6 to hold preliminary hearings these are the exception rather than the rule. There is no provision for disclosure and the costs that may be recovered from an unsuccessful party are limited to court fees, £260 if an injunction is sought and a lawyer has been instructed, travelling expenses and loss of earnings up to £95 per witness and up to £750 in experts' fees.

The new IPEC guide indicates that those wishing to bring an IP case in the small claims track in Bristol or Cardiff should use the electronic filing system.

Anyone wishing to discuss this article or small claims track IP litigation generally should call me on 020 7404 5252 or send me a message through my contact page.

China IP Roadshow

Tom Duke

Jane Lambert

Tom Duke is our IP attaché to the Peoples' Republic of China and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.  China and Hong are not only large and growing markets for British goods and services, they also offer enormous opportunities to British investors.  Particularly with the One Belt, One Road project and other initiatives which I discussed in The Shanghai Cooperation Organization 9 Sept 2017 NIPC Brexit.

As is the case everywhere, investments in branding, design, technology and creativity have to be protected in China and Hong Kong from counterfeiting and plagiarism.  As a member of the World Trade Organization China has to adhere to the TRIPS agreement which sets minimum standards for the protection of intellectual assets.  China has comprehensive and up to date intellectual property laws and courts presided over by specialist judges who are increasingly astute to IP infringement.  It is often forgotten that more patent applications are filed from China than any other country in the world.

From time to time Mr Duke tours the UK to discuss IP protection in China with local business leaders.  Last year he visited the North of England and Scotland and I chaired his visits to Leeds and Barnsley. Those meetings were very successful and have led to longstanding relationships and successful transactions (see Meet our IP Attaché in China 21 July 2017 IP Yorkshire).

Mr Duke is about to return to the UK and will give two talks in this region.

On 1 Nov 2018 he will speak at Glamorgan County Cricket Club's grounds at Sophia Gardens in Cardiff between 08:00 and 10:30.  The title of his talk is Succeeding in China: How to Mitigate Intellectual Property Risk. Admission is free but you must register through the Business Wales website.

On 2 Nov 2018 he will speak on the same subject at the Leigh Court Business Centre in Bristol between 12:00 to 14:30.  Again, admission is free but you have to register through Eventbrite.

Anyone wishing to discuss this article or IP in China generally should call me on 020 7404 5252 or send me a message through my contact page.

Venturefest Bristol and Bath

Author Arpingstone
Reproduced with kind permission of the copyright owner
Souce Wikipedia

Jane Lambert

Venturefest Bristol and Bath is taking place at Watershed Bristol. Watershed, 1 Canon’s Road, Harbourside, Bristol, BS1 5TX today and if you are in or can reach that neighbourhood today it is well worth a visit. You will find directions and travel information on the venue page of the event website.

Venturefest is the trade mark for a range of services in classes 35, 36 and 41. They include

"Arranging exhibitions for business purposes; conducting exhibitions for business purposes; arranging of trade fairs; promotion of fairs for trade purposes; business services relating to the provision of sponsorship for exhibitions and seminars; business consultancy services relating to the promotion of fund raising."

Events held under the Venturefest mark bring together local innovators and creatives, entrepreneurs and investors from a designated hinterland to a single venue for a day of talks and networking. There is an exhibition of local universities and professional, financial and business service providers and a competition where the region's brightest and best startups and growing companies pitch for investment. The first Venturefest was held at Oxford in 1999.  It was followed a few years later by Venturefest Yorkshire at York racecourse. Now there are Venturefests in almost every part of the UK.

The programme for today's Venturefest is here. The theme of this year's conference is "Smart Cities" and there will be a marketplace of "15 regional and national companies pushing the boundaries of Smart City innovation."The pitching contest which in other venues is called "Innovation Showcase" is known as "Silicon Gorge" in Bristol.

If you run or are thinking of starting a new business whether in Bristol, Bath or indeed anywhere you should give some thought as to how you will protect your goodwill, prevent other people from adopting your technology or offering similar designs right from the start. That is why I stress the importance of Putting IP at the Heart of Your Business Plan 2 Jan 2015 NIPC News and explain to every founder, accountant or investor Why every business plan should take account of intellectual property 3 April 2016 NIPC News. Whenever I have watched a pitching competition, one of the first questions that angels, bankers or venture capitalists ask is "What sort of intellectual property protection have you taken out?"

But I have also noticed that many business angels and private equity investors have only the sketchiest knowledge or understanding of IP and for them I have written An IP Primer for Business Angels and Private Equity Investors 29 Aug 2016 NIPC News.

Whether you are a founder, investor or professional advisor you need to focus on IP and as I have devoted my whole career to advising and assisting startups and other small businesses on how to protect and make money from their investment in branding, design, technology and creativity I am in a very good position to help you too.

Should you wish to discuss this article or protecting or leveraging your IP generally, call me on 020 7404 5252 during normal business hours or send me a message through my contact form.

Better than the M4 - "The Judicial Superhighway"

Author John Grayson
Licence Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0

Jane Lambert

The Chancery Division, Circuit Commercial and Technology and Construction Courts sitting in Bristol and Cardiff are now known as "the Business and Property Courts" and linked to the Rolls Building in London  (see The Business and Property Courts of England and Wales Advisory note 27 Sep 2017 Judiciary website). The link between the courts in Bristol and Cardiff and London has been described as a "judicial superhighway" (see The Business and Property Courts of England & Wales - An Explanatory Statement  18 May 2017 by Sir Geoffrey Vos and Sir Brian Leveson). The objective of the judicial superhighway is to enable any kind of case to proceed outside London.

It will be possible to bring cases in Bristol or Cardiff if:

• "one or more of the parties has an address or registered office in the circuit (particularly if the party is non-represented); 
• at least one or more of the witnesses is located in the circuit; 
• at least one of the witnesses expected to give oral evidence is located within the circuit 
• the dispute occurred in a location within the circuit; 
• the dispute concerns land, goods or other assets located in the circuit; or 
• the parties’ legal representatives are based in the circuit."

One of the lists of the Business and Property Courts is the Intellectual Property List which is itself subdivided into lists for the Patents Court, Intellectual Property Enterprise Court ("IPEC") and the Chancery Division. Cases relating to patents, registered and registered Community designs, semiconductor topographies and plant breeders' rights must proceed in the Patents Court or the IPEC multitrack. Both courts are based in the Rolls Building but the Patents Court and IPEC Guides state that the Patents and Enterprise Judges will sit outside London for the convenience of the parties or to save time or costs. All other IP cases - that is to say, those involving breaches of confidence, copyrights, database rights, passing off, rights in performances, trade marks, unregistered Community designs and unregistered design rights - can be issued out of the Bristol or Cardiff District Registries or IPEC. Claims that can be tried in 2 days or less where the amount in dispute is less than £500,000 should be issued out of IPEC. 

Claims issued out of the Business and Property Courts must be headed as follows:

"IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE

BUSINESS AND PROPERTY COURTS IN BRISTOL
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY LIST (ChD)"

or 

"IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE 

BUSINESS AND PROPERTY COURTS OF ENGLAND AND WALES 

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY LIST
PATENTS COURT (ChD)"

Claims in the Business and Property Courts that are issued after 2 Oct 2017 will be given a claim number with a prefix that reflects the Court, List or sub-list in which they are issued. The prefix for Patents Court claims is "HP", the prefix for IPEC claims is "IP" and the prefix for IP claims in the Chancery Division is "IL"

Anyone wishing to discuss this article or IP litigation generally should call me on +44 (0)20 7404 5252 during office hours or send me a message through my contact form.

Why NIPC Severn-Hafren?

Author US Government
Copyright not asserted
Source Wikipedia

Jane Lambert

The Severn estuary divides Greater Bristol and Gloucestershire the Welsh cities of Cardiff and Newport. Because of its tides and currents, the river once acted as an effective barrier between Saxon and Celt but there are now two fine road bridges and a tunnel as well as the M4 motorway which connect them. If anyone was wondering about "Hafren" it is Weksh for the Severn. According to Wikipedia, it takes its name from a Celtic princess called Hafren who was drowned in the river by her stepmother. Her name in Latin was Sabrina and we have anglicized it to Severn.

I had originally intended to launch a blog on IP and technology in South-West England but the region is so large and so diverse that such a blog would have been of very little use to businesses and  individuals there. It includes some of the most prosperous parts of the United Kingdom but also some of the least. The region breaks up naturally into three parts, namely the Bristol City Region which includes much of Gloucestershire, Thomas Hardy's Wessex (that is to say, Devon, Dorset, Somerset and Wiltshire) and Cornwall. The distance between northern Gloucestershire and the Lizard peninsula is about the same as the distance from Gloucestershire to the Scottish border. Geography imposes a limit to what the constituent parts of that region could possibly have in common.

It occurred to me that very much the same could be said of Wales. That principality has two industrial districts originally based on mining and heavy industry in the south-east and northeast. The rest of Wales is rural but the Wye Valley and Pembrokeshire have a very different feel to Snowdonia or even to one another. The Brecon Beacons in the South are different again.

On the other hand Bristol, Cardiff and Newport are very close together. So close that many who work in Cardiff and Newport commute from Bristol and Gloucestershire and many who live in Cardiff and Newport travel to work in the opposite direction. Only 45 miles separate central Cardiff from Central Bristol which is slightly less than the distance between the centres of the Northern Powerhouse cities of Leeds and Manchester. The journey by rail from Cardiff to Bristol takes approximately the same time as the journey between Leeds and Manchester.  Greater Bristol and South East Wales may not regard themselves as such but they are for all intents and purposes a single conurbation of nearly 2 million inhabitants. They may lie in different nations but then the New York conurbation straddle three separate states while the Bâle, Fribourg, Mulhouse conurbation in three different countries, one of which is outside the EU.

The idea that South-Eas Wales and Greater Bristol could be a western powerhouse has already been canvassed by civic leaders in Bristol, Cardiff and Newport (see the press release Great Western Cities one step closer to realising Britain’s Western Powerhouse 12 Feb 2016  Metro Dynamics and John Murray Brown Bristol, Cardiff and Newport launch ‘Great Western Cities’ 12 Feb 2016 Financial Times). Metro Dynamics published a report entitled Britain's Western Powerhouse in support of greater cohesion and collaboration between the three cities.

The combined city regions would have a lot of strengths: the IPO is at Newport, international airports in Bristol and Cardiff, three world class research universities in Bristol, Bath and Cardiff and fine teaching universities nearby, good motorway and rail links to London, Heathrow and the Channel Tunnel, a highly skilled work force with a high percentage of graduates and beautiful countryside. great theatre and other attractions.

Should anyone wish to discuss this article, call me on 020 7404 5252 during office hours or send me a message through my contact form.