J A Kemp

As has been widely reported, a new EU Design Directive & Regulation is close to coming into force in the EU, likely in early 2025. This includes a change that may, in due course, lead to a fundamental change in the circumstances in which an unregistered Community design right can arise, and settle the uncertainty in the current law. Read more in Tom Albertini’s latest briefing.

The 2024 MARQUES Annual Conference will be held in Stockholm. This year’s Annual Conference will focus on the Many Traits of the Trademark Expert. The role of trade mark experts is becoming more and more complex, as they have to navigate new challenges ranging from emerging technologies and business models to regulations regarding advertising and sustainability. J A Kemp will represented at the event by Partner, Charlotte Stirling.

The 2024 Trademark Administrators & Practitioners (TMAP) Meeting is this year’s premier event for trademark administrators, paralegals, young practitioners, and attorneys who manage a global trademark portfolio. With fast-paced and dynamic sessions on a wide range of brand-related topics, this Meeting has something for everyone. J A Kemp will be represented at the event by Associate, Scott Gardiner.

We are delighted to be at the Club Soda Low, Light and Alcohol-Free Summit today as sponsors of the 'Launching' stream. If you’re attending, pop by our stand and talk to our Trade Mark Team, Aaron Newell, Jane Walker or Tom Webb, about protecting your beverage brand (and enter our competition to win a free full trade mark search)! Don’t miss out on Aaron’s talk at 14:30 in The Distillery: ‘The First Few Years: Protecting A Beverage Brand for Growth.’ We hope everyone has a brilliant day at the event.

Earlier this year, J A Kemp partnered with the Linacre Institute, a social mobility charity that helps students from some of the most disadvantaged postcodes in northern England win places at leading universities. This August, one of our trainee patent attorneys, Kayden X., joined the The Linacre Institute's ‘Stepping Stones’ summer school as an academic tutor. Stepping Stones forms the heart of the Linacre Institute’s ‘Reach Higher’ programme and was hosted this year by St John’s College, the University of Cambridge. Over the three and a half days of teaching, Kayden led the Biological Sciences cohort in venturing beyond the confines of the school curriculum. As a class, they explored key events in early molecular and cellular evolution; how cells live, react and die; the history and future of cancer therapy; the origins of pandemics; and the effects of circadian rhythms on human health and disease. Besides tackling these materials, the students also put themselves under the microscope by taking part in mock university interviews, and experienced what it was like researching for, and writing, university-level exam essays. On the penultimate day of Stepping Stones, the class made the most of the good weather by enjoying some ice cream outside on the idyllic grounds of St John’s College whilst discussing the finer details of lactose digestion in humans and bacteria. The students also had a chance to ask questions about different career paths that they can pursue with a Biological Sciences degree, including what it would be like to work outside of the lab as a patent attorney. The photo below shows the Biological Sciences class of 2024 at the Stepping Stones graduation ceremony, which celebrated the students’ achievements over the course of the summer school. Thank you to all of the students for their enthusiasm and hard work!

The Regional Group Bavaria of the German Association for Intellectual Property Law's Annual Meeting is taking place from 18 to 20 September 2024 in Augsburg. J A Kemp will be represented at the event by partner, John Hornby.

Ravi’s expertise in the pharmaceutical patent world is widely recognised but his clients may not be aware of his responsibilities within J A Kemp. He is Finance Partner and a member of the firm’s Management Committee.  He is the firm’s Anti Money Laundering Officer, a member of the pricing committee and has responsibility for the firm’s continuing professional development programme.  He also leads on business development planning for the USA and India, and will in fact be speaking at the upcoming LSPN event in San Francisco next month. We are very lucky to have such an experienced partner and wish him many more successful years at the firm.

In a recently-published decision T2360/19, the EPO’s Technical Board of Appeal applied new liberal standards when assessing legal entitlement to priority, following a relaxation of this aspect of the law. The present decision marks a dramatic reversal of the earlier conclusions of the Board on essentially the same fact pattern in a high-profile case at the EPO. More widely, it should be welcomed by proprietors as further evidence of the recent significant liberalisation of the EPO’s case law in relation to priority entitlement. Read more in our latest news item.

Next Tuesday, join us for an unmissable and jam-packed celebration of a decade of No & Low innovation at the Low, Light, and Alcohol-Free Summit. This milestone event will bring together top brands and industry experts to reflect on the journey so far and shape the future of the category.
 Get an exclusive early look at the full program by downloading the digital version from clubsoda.me/LLAF-2024 What’s in store for you? * Connect with Buyers: More and more buyers are signing up every day. * Expert Guidance: Receive personalised advice on branding, trademarking, strategy, and PR at our free 1-1 sessions. * Investor Networking: Rub shoulders with investors eager to discover the next big thing. * The Future: Share your thoughts and contribute to discussions that will define the next decade. * Invaluable Insights: Learn from trailblazing brands that have been there and done that.
 Join us at Coin Street to meet, mingle, collaborate, and embrace new ideas that will drive the next ten years of growth. This is your chance to make sure you are part of a bold manifesto for the future. Don’t miss out—grab your ticket now at joinclubsoda.com and be part of something extraordinary! Thanks to PB Creative | J A Kemp | Nudge PR | Drinkaware | Distill Ventures| Wine and Spirit Trade Association | Athletic Brewing Co. | Better Rhodes

Understanding the difference between a scientific discovery and an invention is crucial in today's knowledge-driven economy. While discoveries expand our understanding of the world, inventions are the practical applications of this knowledge, solving specific problems and driving technological advancements. As university research increasingly focuses on innovation, the line between discovery and invention often blurs. This distinction is not just linguistic but fundamental to the patentability of new technologies. Read more in Stephen Hodsdon’s latest article for Business Weekly newspaper.