The Institute of Trademark Attorneys: News

New President's Reception

2010-03-10T12:00:00+00:00

The Institute of Trade Mark Attorneys would like to invite you to the New President's Reception.

Join us for fine wines and canapés to mark this special occasion. ITMA's next President will outline plans for the next two years on 13 May, 2010 from 6.00 pm at the Royal Automobile Club.

RAC Dress Code: Gentlemen – collar and tie, Ladies - commensurate formality
No denim and no mobile phones.

Booking is essential and places are limited to 60 so apply early.

ITMA Members can register online at www.itma.org.uk/events

Alternatively, bookings can be made via the event application forms here.

The deadline date for applications is 3rd May 2010.

Michael Edenborough, Barrister of Serle Court Chambers, will give a talk on the Firecraft case

2010-03-03T12:00:00+00:00

Michael Edenborough, Barrister of Serle Court Chambers, will give a talk on the Firecraft case on Tuesday 9 March 2010 at Pannone’s offices in Manchester.

This is a free event for ITMA Members and non-Members.

TIME: 17:30-19:00 (doors open at 5.30pm with refreshments, for a 6.00pm start)

ADDRESS:
Pannone LLP
123 Deansgate
Manchester
M3 2BU

CPD:
Law Society Accredited - 1 Hour (Reference: WP/ITMA) Bar Council Accredited
- 1 Hour

If you wish to attend, please email both Anne Lacaze anne.lacaze@harrisonip.com and Sara Baines Sara.Baines@pannone.co.uk

LSB Open Forum on Alternative Business Structures

2010-03-02T12:00:00+00:00

The Legal Services Board invites you to an Open Forum event, focussing particularly on Alternative Business Structures (ABS). The event is produced in partnership with the Western Circuit.

The Open Forum will be held in The Grand by Thistle [Marlborough Room], Broad Street, Bristol on Wednesday 10 March 2010, between 5pm-7.30pm. An agenda is attached below.

As you know, the Legal Services Act removed restrictions on lawyers and non-lawyers entering into partnership. The effect of this will be to open up a range of opportunities for lawyers to work together with professionals in other sectors – for example through legal services being offered alongside accountancy, tax or insurance services.

For professionals outside the legal sector, this new flexibility will mean more freedom when it comes to offering legal services and shaping their business model. For consumers, benefits will include being able to access a range of legal and non-legal services through one organisation, whilst new entrants to the market increase choice and innovation.

The Legal Services Board is keen to hear both lawyers and other professionals on their perspectives on how the licensing regime for ABS can best support these benefits. This event, as part of a national roadshow, is your chance to have your say.

Speakers on the panel will include:

David Edmonds, Chairman of the Legal Services Board
Chris Kenny, Chief Executive of the Legal Services Board
Nicholas Green QC, Chairman of the Bar Council
Mark Humphries, Board Member, Solicitors Regulation Authority
Robin Tolson QC, Outer Temple Chambers

If you would like to reserve a place please email: ABSforum@legalservicesboard.org.uk

Notice on The Publication of the JEB 2009 Examination Results

2010-02-22T12:00:00+00:00

Results for the 2009 examinations will be published on Monday 29th March 2010.

Individual letters informing candidates of their marks in the various papers will be posted on Friday 26th March 2010 so that they can be expected to arrive on Saturday 27th March 2010. The letters will be sent to the address given on the exam application form. Any change of address must be notified to me by Friday 12th March 2010.

In addition to posted letters we will send the results letter to candidates by email on Saturday 27th March 2010. If you would like to receive your results by email, please email me at Sharon@jointexaminationboard.org.uk with the email address your results should be sent to.

Please note that examination results will not and cannot be given out over the telephone.

The JEB, CIPA and ITMA will post the pass lists on their websites on Monday 29th March 2010 at 11am, so that candidates and others will be able to see the results that morning.

Please note that neither CIPA or ITMA will be able to answer questions about the results.

New Qualification Requirements for a UK Registered Trade Mark Attorney

2010-02-19T12:00:00+00:00

We believe we have worked out the final structure of the new qualification system. There are still some finer details to work out not least because IPReg is now responsible for the qualification system and we need to organise transfer of that responsibility to IPReg.

For more information please view he PDF attached.

Open Forum on Alternative Business Structures (ABS)

2010-02-11T12:00:00+00:00

The LSB would like to invite you to the latest event, produced in partnership with the North East regional Law Society and the circuit.

The Open Forum will be held in Northumbria University [Room 401 Newcastle Business School and School of Law Building] on Tuesday 16 February 2010, between 5.30pm-7.45pm, followed by drinks.

Speakers on the panel will include:

David Edmonds , Chairman of Legal Services Board
Philip Plowden, Dean of Northumbria Law School
Lucy Winskell, Partner, Sintons LLP
Crispin Passmore, Director of Strategy at the Legal Services Board

If you would like to reserve a place please email: ABSforum@legalservicesboard.org.uk

What's in a name? - Find out at Cheltenham Racecourse, Prestbury Park on Wednesday 10th February 2010

2010-02-03T12:00:00+00:00

ITMA – the Institute of Trade Mark Attorneys - will be exhibiting at the FREE Business Advice Open Day at Cheltenham Racecourse, Prestbury Park, Cheltenham, GL50 4SH between 9.00 am and 5.15 pm on Wednesday 10th February.

Words, names, product and package shapes, sounds and logos can all be trade marks. Discover the various forms of trade marks – the mark that distinguishes your goods or services from others – and hear all about the world of trade marks.

Why bother with a trade mark at all? Ask that of Coca Cola, McDonalds, Nike, and millions of other companies all around the world, and they will tell you it’s one of their greatest assets; worth thousands, millions, even billions of pounds.

And if you think it’s only for big companies, just think where they started – from little Acorns do giant Oaks grow. You expect your new business to succeed. Your name; your identity, is all part of that and as you grow, so too will the value of your trade mark.

Come and talk to us to find out what you need to do to protect these valuable assets and how ITMA can help. At least you should be aware of the world of trade marks and what they can mean to you.

For instance, did you know that registering your name at Companies House does NOT give you any trade mark protection? And did you know that it could cost you a lot of money and heartache to ignore trade mark issues?

Probably not - so come and find out how you can avoid or minimise those dangers. It could save you money as well as setting your business off on the right track!

NOTES FOR EDITORS

1. The Institute of Trade Mark Attorneys (ITMA) was established in 1934 as the professional body representing those persons qualified to act for the owners of trade mark and allied intellectual property rights (in particular, registered designs) both nationally and internationally. It now represents the vast majority of UK registered trade mark agents and all UK Trade Mark & Design Litigators.

2. Currently ITMA has approximately 500 practising members; it also extends associate membership to professionals in related fields of law and overseas membership to foreign trade mark attorneys. Its total membership (all classes) is about 1600 members, primarily located in the United Kingdom and Europe, but also in more than 50 other countries.

3. ITMA is regularly consulted by UK government and by international bodies when questions affecting trade mark and allied intellectual property rights arise. It has regular meetings with the UK Intellectual Property Office (UK-IPO), the Community Trade Marks Office (OHIM), the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) and other sister organisations in Europe and beyond. For more information visit www.itma.org.uk.

4. The Business Advice Days programme is the largest, cross government business support roadshow of its kind, dedicated to providing free information and support to business. It is organised by HM Revenue & Customs.

Press and interview enquiries to Ken Storey, PR Manager, Tel: 020 8941 6079 or Mobile 07710 434 507.

What's in a name? - Find out in Ipswich on Thursday 4th February 2010

2010-01-12T12:00:00+00:00

ITMA – the Institute of Trade Mark Attorneys - will be exhibiting at the FREE Business Advice Open Day at Trinity Park Conference Centre, Ipswich, IP3 8UH between 9.00 am and 5.15 pm on Thursday 4th February.

Come and talk to us to find out what you need to do to protect these valuable assets and how ITMA can help. At least you should be aware of the world of trade marks and what they can mean to you.

Probably not - so come and find out how you can avoid or minimise those dangers. It could save you money as well as setting your business off on the right track!

NOTES FOR EDITORS

Press and interview enquiries to Ken Storey, PR Manager, Tel: 020 8941 6079 or Mobile 07710 434 507.

New IP Regulator to go live on 1 January 2010

2010-01-04T12:00:00+00:00

The Intellectual Property Regulation Board (IPReg), which has been set up to regulate both trade mark and patent attorneys, will become fully activated by statute on January 1 2010, when the overall regulator for the legal professions, the Legal Services Board, is formally granted the remainder of its regulatory powers.

The new regulatory framework has been enacted by Parliament to create a new focus for consumers in the delivery of legal services, with new oversight of regulators, greater choice for consumers and more effective redress if anything should go wrong. The Legal Services Board has overall responsibility for the whole legal services sector, with the aim of putting the interests of consumers at the heart of the system, including in such areas as accessibility of services, entry routes and planning for the diverse legal workforce of the future.

IPReg was set up as part of the reforms of the Legal Services Act 2007 which creates a new system for legal complaints and an ombudsman scheme to deal with all consumer complaints about legal services. It also paves the way for lawyers, including trade mark and patent mark attorneys, to set up in partnership with other professionals and to be owned or take investment from outside companies or individuals.

According to Ann Wright, who was appointed chief executive of IPReg in November, the UK is at the forefront of regulating legal services. “IPReg is believed to be the first instance in Europe of trade mark and patent attorneys coming under independent regulatory control,” she said. “This ensures that consumers, not only in the UK, but also those from overseas using UK attorneys, get a high level of service and appropriate means of redress in cases of dissatisfaction. Although IPReg is a small board in comparison to others that are also going live on 1 January, I am sure that we will be able to contribute significantly to the models of best practice.”

Gillian Deas, President of the Institute of Trade Mark Attorneys (ITMA) added that she was pleased that IPReg had met all its obligations and deadlines for a successful launch on 1 January. “Meeting the requirements of the Legal Services Act has involved detailed deliberations between ITMA and CIPA” she said. “Meeting the January deadline is a testament to our joint efforts and ability to work effectively together to meet the needs of consumers, as well as complying with the requirements of the Act.”

NOTES FOR EDITORS

Intellectual Property Regulation Board (IPReg)

1. IPReg was established by ITMA, the Institute of Trade Mark Attorneys and CIPA, the Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys, in April 2009, as an independent body with responsibility to the Legal Services Board (LSB) to comply with the regulatory provisions of the Legal Services Act of 2007. IPReg is responsible for trade mark and patent attorneys and firms of trade mark and patent attorneys who are listed on the official Registers covering each profession. The Registers can be accessed at www.ipreg.org.uk.

2. IPReg answers to the Legal Services Board, which oversees eight ‘Approved Regulators’, which in turn regulate individual lawyers and organisations. The eight approved regulators, designated under Part 1 of Schedule 4 of the 2007 Act, are the Law Society, the Bar Council, the Master of the Faculties, the Institute of Legal Executives, the Council for Licensed Conveyancers, the Institute of Trade Mark Attorneys, the Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys and the Association of Law Costs Draftsmen.

3. For further information on IPReg contact Ann Wright, Chief Executive, on 020 7440 9371.

The Institute of Trade Mark Attorneys (ITMA)

4. The Institute of Trade Mark Attorneys (ITMA) was established in 1934 as the professional body representing those persons qualified to act for the owners of trade mark and allied intellectual property rights (in particular, registered designs) both nationally and internationally. It now represents the vast majority of UK registered trade mark agents and all UK Trade Mark & Design Litigators.

5. Currently ITMA has approximately 500 practising members; it also extends associate membership to professionals in related fields of law and overseas membership to foreign trade mark attorneys. Its total membership (all classes) is about 1600 members, primarily located in the United Kingdom and Europe, but also in more than 50 other countries.

6. ITMA is regularly consulted by UK government and by international bodies when questions affecting trade mark and allied intellectual property rights arise. It has regular meetings with the Intellectual Property Office (IPO), the Community Trade Marks Office (OHIM), the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) and other sister organisations in Europe and beyond. For more information visit www.itma.org.uk.

Press Enquiries to Ken Storey, PR Manager, Tel: 020 8941 6079 or Mobile 07710 434 507.

Trade Mark Administrators' Seminar

2009-12-23T12:00:00+00:00

Further details and an application form are avaliable here .

ITMA Members are able to apply to attend online here.