19 June 2020

Dear Members,
Like many around the world I have been watching events unfold in the US, the tragic death of George Floyd and the resulting civil unrest.  On a personal level, I have been shocked both by humanity’s continuing failure to uphold values of equality under the law, and by the injustice of denying fellow citizens the same basic rights we should all enjoy.  
It is clear to me that change is long overdue and that the current momentum of movements in support of racial equality and inclusion is an opportunity to effect real change, on both sides of the Atlantic.
AIPPI UK is part of the global AIPPI organisation, an international group with 9,000 or so members from over 125 countries worldwide.  It is a truly global family of IP professionals whose work focusses on the harmonisation of laws internationally and, as such, the full and equal inclusion of people from all communities is central to our work and message.  
On behalf of AIPPI UK, I want to express our solidarity with the black, Asian and minority ethnic communities in their struggle against systemic inequality and racism both within and beyond the UK. 
AIPPI UK members are from all of the IP professions. Our members are from many different backgrounds, nationalities and experiences. We support equality, diversity and inclusivity across the board, but current events call on us to re-examine our individual and collective track records, to recognise that not enough has been done, and to take action. AIPPI UK is fully committed to improving under-representation, and we will actively work towards identifying and removing discrimination and racism wherever it occurs.
With best wishes,
Sara

9 June 2020

The 2020 Congress in Hangzhou, Eastern China has been postponed until 17-20 October 2021.  The official site is here and more information will be added to it as it becomes available.

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The UK Group has started to work on the Study Questions which can be found here.  The topics include Inventorship in the context of AI; Descriptive use as a defence in Trade Marks; Rights in data; and Standing to sue and its effect on remedies.