Monday 4 March 2024

St David's Day Celebration at the Guildhall


 













Jane Lambert

One of the highlights of Wales Week London is the annual St David's Day dinner at the Guildhall. No greater pleasure or honour can be offered to a friend of Wales than an invitation to that event.  My invitation came from Pryderi ap Phisiart, Managing Director of the Menai Science Park ("M-SParc"),  for which  I am very grateful.

From time to time I am asked about my connection with Wales.  I cannot claim Welsh birth, kin, domicile or even education but I have enormous affection for the land and its people.  Having been born not far from the border I have visited Wales several times a year almost every year of my life.  The regions that I know best are the North West and South East.  I have watched with concern the decline of the staple industries in both regions.  Many of Wales's best and brightest young men and women who have been educated to a high level in those regions' excellent secondary schools have left their country to find work or continue their education and have never returned.

There are two institutions in particular that are helping to arrest and reverse that decline albeit in very different ways.  In the North West, M-SParc opened for business on 1 March 2018.  It provides space and support for new knowledge-based businesses on its own site and catalyzes enterprises throughout the region.  In the South East, Darius James set up a classical dance company not in Cardiff but in his birthplace, Newport.  The company brings an art form that began in the courts of kings and emperors, developed in the world's leading opera houses and is still associated with major cities to communities throughout Wales.  Not only does the company entertain audiences in those communities it also trains their young people.  In some cases,  Ballet Cymru's training ignites an ambition that leads talented kids into careers in dance and other performing arts. I champion both of those institutions and assist them in any and every way I can.  They are my connection with Wales.  

The St David's Day celebrations at the Guildhall began with preprandial drinks in the Old Library, continued with dinner in the Great Hall and ended for some with postprandial libations and community singing at The Trading House on Gresham Street.  

Before dinner, I met some distinguished fellow guests including a former law officer of the Turks and Caicos Islands and Bermuda, a leading South Wales fashion designer, a teacher of fashion design at the University of the Creative Arts in Epsom, a partner of a leading law firm and several angel and private equity investors.  As they came from  Cardiff,  Carmarthenshire, Glamorgan, Gwent and Pembrokeshire I told them about M-SParc and its work in the North West. I  encouraged them to participate in M-SParc's World IP and Wales Enterprise Day celebrations.   Since Ballet Cymru's studios in Rogerstone are close to many of them I mentioned the company's inclusive classes and performances at the magnificent Riverfront Theatre,

M-SParc had two tables in the Great Hall.  Pryderi presided over one and Gwenllian Owen, the science park commercialization and information officer, over the other.  Guests on my table included investors and mentors, M-SParc employees and other friends of the science park.  I sat between the investment manager of the Investment Fund for Wales and the Investment Partner of the Clean Growth Fund.  Dinner consisted of a fish starter, lamb main course, dessert, cheese and coffee accompanied by excellent wines.   

We were welcomed to dinner by the President, Peter Evans.  Grace was said by the Rev Robert Nicholls of the Welsh Church of Central London, A toast in memory of St David was proposed by the psychologist and TV journalist and presenter Dr Sian Williams.  The keynote speech was given by Lord Wigley of Caernarfon who spoke on the centuries-old relationship between Wales and London.  He celebrated the enormous contribution that Welsh émigrés had made to the City's financial services industry over the years mentioning a time when 3 of the leaders of the 8 largest insurance companies in the United Kingdom were Welsh speakers.   The "Welsh diaspora" in London and other big cities in the UK and around the world was an important connection for those who remained in Wales.  I had heard him speak on a similar theme at a reception in the House of Lords last September (see Reflections on Wales Innovation Week in London 20 Sept 2023).

Two highlights of the dinner were the presentation of the Community Foundation Wales award to an impressive young man whom I met briefly at the Trading House and the singing by the Côr Llundain.  I live near Huddersfield which has its own grerat choir.  We like to believe that our Choral is second to none.  Having heard Côr Llundain's O Gymru, Migldi Magldi, Dana Dana and Gwinllan A Roddwyd I have to say that Huddersfield has serious competition from London. Just before the end of the meal the choir led the hall in singing Cofian Gwlad and Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau.

Much of the choir'smusic was new to me but I knew Migldi Magldi from Cerys Matthews's Tir.  Ms Matthews is one of the patrons of Ballet Cymru and Darius James and Amy Doughty have choreographed a most beautiful ballet to her music which they performed recently at the Pontio Centre.

Singing continued at the Trading House until the early hours of the morning though the repetoire was more varied in that it ranged from Guide Me O Thou Great Redeemer to Tom Jones's Delilah.   It included my favourite Welsh song, Calon Lânwhich never fails to moisten my eyes.  Especially as I now know enough Welsh to follow the lyrics.  Networking also continued until well into Saturday.

The main sponsor of the event was the computer security specialists Pure Cyber.  The wealth management company RBC Brewin Dolphin sponsored the choir.  Amgueddfa Cymru, Bethan Jones Boutique, Swansea University, the Welsh Government and several other businesses, institutions and individuals also contributed to the event.   As the late Queen said at the end of her last speech to the Senedd, diolch o galon to each and every one of those who facilitated the event.

Anyone wishing to discuss this article may call me on 020 7404 5252 during normal business houers or send me a message through my contact page at all other times.

Monday 26 February 2024

Wales Week London

Satellite Image of Wales
Author NSA, USA Copyright Public Domain Source Wikimedia












Jane Lambert 

Wales Week London is London's contribution to an annual worldwide festival of Wales.  According to its website, it consists of 602 events at 110 venues in 22 countries with 66,000 attendees reaching 10.8 million people.  In the rest of the UK, Wales Week events are taking place in Berkshire and Newcastle upon Tyne.  Elsewhere there are events in Australia, Canada, France, Hungary, the Irish Republic, Japan, Thailand, the USA and even the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Although called "Wales Week" the festival's events in London stretch from a Festival of Welsh Music on 16 Feb 2024 to the St David's Day walk on 9 March 2024.  They cover the arts, crafts, entertainment, food and sport as well as business, industry and tech.  

There are 37 events in this last category which include diplomatic receptions at the Canadian High Commission and the Hungarian, Swiss and US embassies, a dinner at the Guildhall to celebrate St David's Day, discussions on artificial intelligence, biotech, energy, legal techmanufacturing, net zerosport, transport and receptions, exhibitions and other events to promote innovation and investment,  Some of those events are invitation only but many are open to anybody and in most cases admission is free.

A curious omission given the Intellectual Property Office is headquartered in Wales and has an office in London is the absence of any event specifically on intellectual property.  It will of course be central to many of the discussions.  It would be hard to talk about branding without mentioning trade marks and passing off or to discuss inventions without referring to patents, design rights or trade secrecy. 

All that may change for next year because |I am willing to organize one or more intellectual property events either alone or in conjunction with any other like-minded individuals or organizations to be held possibly at my chambers at 4-5 Gray's Inn Square or some other central London location.  What I have in mind is a seminar on topics likely to be useful to entrepreneurs, inventors and business angels along the lines of the World IP Day and Wales Enterprise Day sessions that I help Emily Roberts to run at the Menai Science Park and maybe a walk-in IP clinic.

Holding events for Welsh Week is encouraged and an event organizer's toolkit  can be downloaded from the Wales Week London website,

Anybody wishing to discuss this article may call me on 020 7404 5252 during office hours or send me a message through my contact page, 

Thursday 25 January 2024

An IP Clinic for M-SParc

Author Chris Andrews Licence CC BY-SA Deed Source Geograph

 











Jane Lambert

There is a network of public libraries linked to the British Library that offer a range of services to artists, designers, entrepreneurs inventors and other creatives.  Each of those libraries is known as a "Business and Intellectual Property Centre" or "BIPC".  One of the network's most popular services are Intellectual Property clinics which offer free consultations with patent or trade mark attorneys, lawyers and other professionals specializing in IP.

Probably because much of the initial funding for the network was provided by Arts Council England, there are no BIPCs in Wales.  Wales may be losing out because the BIPCs appear to contribute substantially to the economy.   According to an independent economic impact analysis of the national network between April 2013 – March 2015, BIPCs

  • "generated £38 million GVA (Gross Value Added) on investment, with an estimated increase to £214 million by 2018
  • created almost 1,700 new businesses and over 4,200 jobs, with an estimated increase to over 4,100 new businesses and over 22,000 new jobs within the next 3 years (almost a third in the ‘Northern Powerhouse’)
  • created a payback of £4.50 for every £1 of public money (estimated to grow to £25 payback for every £1 invested by 2018)
  • supported diverse communities: 47% of network users were women, 26% of users were BAME and 25% were unemployed or had been made redundant
  • achieved lower cost per job created and higher GVA leverage, compared with other business support initiatives"
(see British Library's Business & IP Centre national network published by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport 16 Dec 2015).

The IP clinics at the English BIPCs are staffed by local lawyers, patent and trade mark attorneys and other professionals and receive little or no public funding,  While a BIPC is unlikely to open in North Wales any time soon there is no reason why IP professionals practising in North Wales should not set up their own IP clinic.  Over the weekend I consulted Emily Roberts of M-SParc, patent attorney Sean Thomas, commercial solicitor Andrea Knox and IP tax accountant Steve Livingston and all were in favour.

As Sean and I plan to attend the Artificial Intelligence for Business workshop on 31 Jan 2024, we shall be in M-SParc between 14:00 and 15:30 to discuss our plans for the clinic with the science park's tenants and other local business owners.   Should anyone require a private consultation with Sean or me on an IP issue that is presently concerning them we shall talk to them there and then.  If someone has an issue that Steve or Andrea is best placed to handle we shall refer that enquirer to one of those professionals,   Each of us has a network of contacts around the world so if a business owner wants to export to China or an invention needs a prototype for your invention we can put him or her in touch with the right person.

If the launch on 31 Jan 2024 is successful we shall operate a triage system.   We shall ask users to fill in the following form which my clerk or I will acknowledge.    If Sean, Andrea, Steve or I can advise by phone, Zoom or email we shall give the enquirer an immediate answer.   If he or she needs a meeting at least one IP professional will be in M-SParc at least once a month.

If anyone wants to talk to me about this project he or she should call me on 020 7404 5252 during office hours or use the following form:


Fill out my online form.

Sunday 14 January 2024

IP and the Sustainable Development Goals in Wales


 








Jane Lambert

In World IP Day 2024 - IP and the Sustainable Development Goals I reported that the theme for this year's World Intellectual Property Day would be IP and the SDGs: Building our common future with innovation and creativity.  Nowhere in the UK attaches more importance to those goals than Wales.  It was one of the first countries in the world to adopt a constitutional duty of sustainable development.  It announced its first Sustainable Development Scheme – Learning to Live Differently in 2000.  The National Assembly for Wales (as the Senedd was then known) enacted the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015.  In 2019 the Welsh government published Wales and the Sustainable Development Goals. 

S.5 of the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 sets out a table of goals that are compatible with but not identical to the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals.   These are known as the "Well-being Goals":

  • "A prosperous Wales:  An innovative, productive and low carbon society which recognises the limits of the global environment and therefore uses resources efficiently and proportionately (including acting on climate change); and which develops a skilled and well-educated population in an economy which generates wealth and provides employment opportunities, allowing people to take advantage of the wealth generated through securing decent work. 
  • A resilient Wales: A nation which maintains and enhances a biodiverse natural environment with healthy functioning ecosystems that support social, economic and ecological resilience and the capacity to adapt to change (for example climate change).
  • A healthier Wales: A society in which people's physical and mental well-being is maximised and in which choices and behaviours that benefit future health are understood.
  • A more equal Wales: A society that enables people to fulfil their potential no matter what their background or circumstances (including their socio economic background and circumstances).
  • A Wales of cohesive communities: Attractive, viable, safe and well-connected communities. 
  • A Wales of vibrant culture and thriving Welsh language: A society that promotes and protects culture, heritage and the Welsh language, and which encourages people to participate in the arts, and sports and recreation. 
  • A globally responsible Wales: A nation which, when doing anything to improve the economic, social, environmental and cultural well-being of Wales, takes account of whether doing such a thing may make a positive contribution to global well-being."
Obligations are placed upon the Ministers of the Welsh Government and public services to promote the Well-Being Goals.   An official known as The Future Generations Commissioner of Wales is established by s.17 to promote the sustainable development principles and perform the functions in s.19.

As the Well-Being Goals are fewer and more tightly defined than the 17 Sustainable Development Goals it will be easier to relate them to intellectual property law.  For example, the legal protection of branding, design, technology and creative works is essential to the prosperity of Wales and more or less anything said on those topics would be relevant.  A Healthier Wales can focus on the needs of the pharmaceutical and medical devices industries in Wales and on the use of artificial intelligence and big data in finding new medicines and treatments.  "A Wales of Vibrant Culture and thriving Welsh language:" could discuss the arts, universities, education, broadcasting and cinema in Wales.

 On all those topics the management of the Menai Science Park and the park's businesses are brimming with talent and experience.   If the net is cast wider to catch AberInnovation, Tramshed, the Pontio Centre and the Universities Wales can create a brilliant contribution to IP and the Sustainable Development Goals.  In an upcoming meeting with Emily Roberts and Iwan Pitts, I shall suggest a programme based on Wales's unique contribution to the UN's Sustainable Development Goals for M-SParc's World IP Day celebrations..

Anyone wishing to discuss this article may call me on 020 7404 5252 during normal office hours or send me a message through my contact page,

Tuesday 26 December 2023

World IP Day 2024 - IP and the Sustainable Development Goals









Jane Lambert

World Intellectual Property Day is an international festival of creativity and innovation which takes place on or around 26 April of every year. It celebrates the entry into force of the international agreement that established the World Intellectual Property Organization ("WIPO"), the UN specialist agency that assists governments to protect investment in creativity, enterprise and innovation ("intellectual assets") through a bundle of laws known collectively as "intellectual property". World IP Day is one of two annual intellectual property events that the Menai Science Park ("M-SParc") celebrates every year.   The other is Wales Enterprise Day which takes place in November,

Every year World IP Day revolves around a different theme.   The theme for 2024 will be "IP and the Sustainable Development Goals".  There are 17 sustainable development goals which are introduced by this YouTube video.  M-SParc and the other science parks of Wales have businesses that promote those goals.  World IP Day 2024 will be a splendid opportunity to promote and celebrate those enterprises. This year's celebrations by M-SParc and other organizations throughout the United Kingdom should do much to bring the sustainable development goals to the attention of the British public.   Although I like to keep of myself as reasonably well informed of such matters I had only the sketchiest awareness of the programme before the announcement of the theme for this year's World IP Day,

As the theme for World IP Day 2024 has only just been announced I have not yet had an opportunity to confer with the management of M-SParc about this year's celebrations.  In the past, the park's managing director, Pryderi ap Rhisiart,  has put Emily Roberts, M-SParc's Outreach and Community Manager, in charge of the event and I have assisted Emily by suggesting speakers and chairing pr speaking at the event on the day. I shall be very glad to assist M-SParc again if it so wishes this year. As soon as the Christmas and New Year's Day holidays are over, I shall seek an early video conference with Emily and her colleague, Iwan Pitts, to discuss M-SParc's contributions to the World IP Day 2024 celebrations.

By celebrating World IP Day and Wales Enterprise Day, M-SParc has done much to raise awareness of the importance of intellectual property not only among its own tenants but also among businesses and institutions throughout Northwest Wales. Safeguarding businesses' investment in branding, creativity, design and innovation is crucial to the economic regeneration of the region.

Anyone wishing to discuss this topic can call me on 020 7404 5252 during normal business hours after the holidays. In the meantime, they are welcome to send me a message through my contact form.

Thursday 30 November 2023

Building on the Success of Wales Enterprise Day 2023


 











Jane Lambert

The Menai Science Park  (M-SParc)'s seminar Restoring Bridges with Europe on 17 Nov 2023 to celebrate Wales Enterprise Day was the park's most successful intellectual property event ever. 

M-SParc was hooked up to AberInnovation in Aberystwyth, Tramshed Tech in Barry, Cardiff, Newport and Swansea and the Guinness Enterprise Centre in Dublin. Individual speakers and attendees joined the event from Dublin, London and all parts of Wales. We had excellent presentations from John Glennane and Mike Hawkes of CapVentis, Patrick O'Connor of VRAI and James Bridgeman SC of the Irish Bar, There were also helpful interventions from Patricia McGovern of DFMG and Elinor Cavil of DLA Piper.  A lot of information on the business and legal environments of the UK and Ireland was exchanged and new contacts were made.

Two new initiatives have arisen from the event.  Tom Burke of Haia suggested a seminar on patenting software-implemented inventions.   In Europe, unlike the United States, China, Japan and India, there is an express  exclusion from patentability for:

"(a) discoveries, scientific theories and mathematical methods;
(b) aesthetic creations;
(c) schemes, rules and methods for performing mental acts, playing games or doing business, and programs for computers
(d) presentations of information
........ as such."

The words "as such" are important because they allow software-implemented inventions to be implemented in certain circumstances.  The courts and the European and national patent offices have developed elaborate rules as to when the exception applies and when it does not.  Emily Roberts welcomed Tom's suggestion and asked me to consider how a seminar or conference on software patents could take place. 

This is an issue that affects a lot of businesses in many different industries throughout Wales and beyond.  It should have the widest possible coverage.  In Yorkshire, intellectual property awareness is spread by an organization with the acronym TIPSY  ("The Intellectual Property Society of Yorkshire"). There is a need in Wales for a similar body to bring together practitioners from both branches of the legal profession, patent and trade mark attorneys, legal scholars, government bodies and most importantly tenants of the Welsh science parks and other knowledge-based businesses.   

Most IP specialists in Wales are to be found around the university cities.   Because of the distances between those centres, a Wales IP society would rely on video conferencing rather than on face-to-face meetings. In that regard, the success of the Wales Enterprise Day seminar in connecting the science parks shows just what can be achieved by technology.

Over the Christmas holidays, I shall put together proposals for a 2 - 3 hour seminar on software patents to be addressed by leading experts in the field.   I shall also draw up plans for a Wales IP society which would be based in M-SParc but would hold events in other places as and when requested,   All meetings would be linked by video conference and recorded on YouTube,

Anyone wishing to discuss this article may call me on 020 7404 5252 during normal office hours or send me a message through my contact form,

Sunday 29 October 2023

Wales Enterprise Day - Wales's Relationship with Ireland".

Dublin Castle
Author Donaldytong Licence CC BY-SA 3.0 Deed Source Wikimedia Commons










Jane Lambert

On Wales Enterprise Day the Menai Science Park ("M-SParc") celebrates the businesses that have graduated from start-up to scale-up.   By definition, scale-ups seek to expand their business not only in the United Kingdom but also overseas.   An obvious stepping stone for expansion for businesses that have established themselves in Wales is the Republic of Ireland.  That is why the theme of this year's Wales Enterprise Day is "Rebuilding Bridges with Europe - Wales's Relationship with Ireland".   

Traffic between Wales and Ireland is not all one way.  Despite Brexit, Britain remains an attractive market for Irish businesses.  It has a market of over 65 million consumers, a highly developed financial services sector and it was recently ranked by the WIPO as the 4th most innovative country in the world (see WIPO Global Innovation Index 2023).  With its science parks, enterprise zones and proximity to Ireland, Wales is a good place for Irish companies to set up their first base.

To explore the opportunities for Welsh scale-ups in Ireland and Irish scale-ups in Wales the main event on Wales Enterprise Day will be a hybrid seminar between 12:30 and 14:00 entitled "Adfer Pontydd gydag Ewrop" or "Restoring Bridges with Europe," It will link the Welsh science parks AberInnovation, M-SParc and Transhed Tech with the Guinness Enterprise Centre in Dublin. One high-tech company that operates in both Wales and Ireland is the IT consultancy CapVentis. That company's CEO John Glennane and its CTO Mark Hawkes will outline some of the practical issues of carrying on business in Wales and Ireland.  

Ireland's intellectual property laws are very similar to those of Wales and England.  Ireland is a party to the European Patent Convention and has signed but not yet ratified the Unified Patent Court  Agreement (see OJ 20.6.2013 C175/1). Applicants for patents can choose between a European patent or an Irish patent granted under the Patents Act 1992.  There is a further choice between full-term and short-term patents.   Brand owners can choose between an EU trade mark granted by the EU Intellectual Property Office ("EUIPO") in Alicante under the EU Trade Mark Regulation or an Irish trade mark granted by the Intellectual Property Office of Ireland ("IPOI") in Kilkenny under the Trade Marks Act 1996. Similarly, design owners may seek a registered Community design under the Community design regulation from the EU IPO or an Irish registered design from the IPOI under the Industrial Designs Act 2001.

For British owners of EU trade marks and registered Community designs or EU plant varieties it is worth remembering that the Irish High Court remains an EU trade mark court and a Community design court.  Actions for the enforcement  of those rights can usually be brought in those courts where the procedure will be very similar to that of the courts of Wales and England,

Guidance on those issues will be provided by James Bridgeman SC a leading member of the Irish Bar,  I shall offer similar guidance to any member of the audience who wants information on Welsh and English law.   I shall invite other professionals, investors and other experts to join the audience and comment on matters within their expertise,

Anyone requiring further information should call me on +44 (0)20 7404 5252 or send me a message through my contact form.