http://www.ipfederation.com/ The IP Federation - XML Feed http://www.ipfederation.com/activities.php?news_id=80 2013-06-03 00:00:00 The IP Federation has written to the UK IPO (Intellectual Property Office) on the subject of criminal sanctions for Registered Designs infringement. The IP Federation is against the introduction of criminal sanctions for Registered Designs infringement even if the requirement is made that there must be direct copying of the design. Should the IPO be unwilling to completely remove the criminal sanctions from the IP Bill, we are proposing the restriction of any offence to one in which there has been deliberate intent to deceive the purchaser of the product. For full details, click HERE. To see all our policy papers, click HERE. http://www.ipfederation.com/activities.php?news_id=79 2013-05-29 00:00:00 We extend our congratulations to Roger Burt, a Vice-President of the IP Federation, who was formally elected President of the Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys (CIPA) at the annual general meeting on 22 May 2013.  Congratulations also go to Catriona Hammer, who has taken on the role as Vice President of CIPA, and two new members of CIPA’s Council, Tony Rollins and Bobby Mukherjee, currently President of the IP Federation. As Roger puts it: “I have worked with Bobby and Tony, and of course Catriona, on the IP Federation Council so I know how good they are." http://www.ipfederation.com/activities.php?news_id=78 2013-05-29 00:00:00 The IP Federation is urging UK intervention at the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) in Court of Justice case C-170/13 (Huawei Technologies). This case concerns highly topical policy issues surrounding licensing of standard essential patents (SEPs), including: the availability of injunctive relief, what constitutes a ‘willing licensee’, and the principle of 'fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory' (FRAND) terms, all currently the subject of a significant amount of litigation in the mobile telecoms sector, especially in the UK courts, as well as in courts across Europe and around the world.   We are therefore urging the UK to intervene and encourage the Court to focus on principle level guidance under EU law rather than being too prescriptive in order to avoid unforeseen consequences for other disputes which may arise between different parties with different facts and circumstances.   http://www.ipfederation.com/activities.php?news_id=77 2013-05-20 00:00:00 The IP Federation has submitted a response to the UK IPO (Intellectual Property Office) discussion paper on an Appointed Person for Patents with deadline 21 May 2013. In our view, a proportionate approach would be to set up an Appointed Person route of appeal for decisions the Intellectual Property Office makes on patents, but only for ex parte matters. The choice of whether to use the route is then fully with the owner of – or applicant for – the relevant right. For full details, click HERE. To see all our policy papers, click HERE. http://www.ipfederation.com/activities.php?news_id=76 2013-05-17 00:00:00 The IP Federation has submitted a response to the European Commission's public consultation on anti-trust rules on technology licensing which closes on 17 May 2013.  This relates to the draft proposal for a revised block exemption for technology transfer agreements and guidelines under EU competition law. The Federation urges the Commission to reconsider the changes that have been proposed in new Articles 3, 5.1(a) and (b) and paragraphs 219–227 of the new Guidelines. These proposals have the potential to substantially reduce legal certainty to businesses entering into licensing arrangements, with resultant chilling effect on technology transfer, economic efficiency, and innovation in the EU. For full details, click HERE. To see all our policy papers, click HERE. http://www.ipfederation.com/activities.php?news_id=75 2013-04-24 00:00:00 The IP Federation has written to Viscount Younger of Leckie, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Intellectual property in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. We are seeking the inclusion of the Vitorino Report on the Agenda of the forthcoming Competitiveness Council meeting in May. We have also requested that renewal of the outdated private copy levy system in Europe remains prominently on the EU political and legislative agenda, and that the momentum for change following the Vitorino Recommendations is not lost. http://www.ipfederation.com/activities.php?news_id=74 2013-04-05 00:00:00 The IP Federation has submitted a response to the European Patent Office's online open consultation regarding divisional applications (Rule 36 EPC). We believe that the time limit imposed in current Rule 36 EPC comes at too early a time to allow the applicant a just possibility to file a divisional application. The time limit expires prior to the start of the examination by virtually all major Patent Offices worldwide and often expires prior to the reaction from the European Examining Division to the response filed to the first Communication pursuant to Article 94(3) EPC.  For full details, click HERE. To see all our policy papers, click HERE. http://www.ipfederation.com/activities.php?news_id=73 2013-04-04 00:00:00 For the first time, our archive of issues of Trends and Events is being made available on the IP Federation website. Trends and Events (ISSN 2046-3049) is our annual publication in which the Federation reviews its previous twelve months’ activities. It provides an overview of those IP issues which engaged industry during that period and tries to look beyond current issues to identify future areas of interest, activity or con­troversy. Apart from a short break in publication in 2008 and 2009, it has appeared annually. Issues before this break were up to now only available in hard copy from the Federation offices or the British Library.   The following issues are now available on our website:  Trends and Events 2012   Trends and Events 2011   Trends and Events 2010   Trends and Events 2006-2007   Trends and Events 2005-2006   Trends and Events 2004-2005   Trends and Events 2003-2004   Trends and Events 2002-2003   Trends and Events 2001-2002   Trends and Events 2000-2001   Trends and Events 1999-2000   Trends and Events 1998-1999 The issues are also available via Google Drive. http://www.ipfederation.com/activities.php?news_id=72 2013-03-27 00:00:00 The Chancellor has asked Mr Justice Briggs to take charge of a review of the practice and procedure of the Chancery Division of the High Court (both in and outside London), with a brief to make proposals for change. The review encompasses all aspects of chancery practice and procedure, but with a particular focus on case management, judicial resource allocation and the interests of self-represented litigants. Initial responses are sought no later than 31 March 2013. The IP Federation has replied, suggesting a number of improvements to the practice and procedures of the Chancery Division, including the following: Hearing witnesses by video conference can be an efficient use of the court’s time and is to be encouraged in appropriate circumstances.   Means to decrease the volume of paper should be encouraged, and we are aware that the patent judges are considering this. This could reduce the cost of proceedings and make it easier for the judges and all parties concerned.   http://www.ipfederation.com/activities.php?news_id=71 2013-03-11 00:00:00 A summary of the IP Federation response to the European Commission trade secrets consultation on the protection of business and research know-how is now available. We believe that trade secrets / confidential business information are of high importance in all the following areas: Research and development. Exploitation of innovation, i.e. turning an invention into a marketable product. Innovative and competitive performance of SMEs. Innovative and competitive performance of large companies which operate internationally. Growth and jobs in the EU economy in general. However, we are generally opposed to the intro­duc­tion of criminal penalties for the misuse or disclosure of con­fiden­tial inform­a­tion. Nor do we believe that it follows that SMEs will necessarily benefit from, for example, the introduction of criminal sanctions for the misuse of confidential information. Codification of the law could help to raise public awareness and aid clarity. Subject to the points made in the paper, the IP Federation is in favour of setting a minimum standard of protection in Europe. For full details, click HERE. To see all our policy papers, click HERE. http://www.ipfederation.com/activities.php?news_id=70 2013-03-08 00:00:00 The IP Federation has made a response to the European Commission trade secrets consultation on the protection of business and research know-how. We believe that trade secrets / confidential business information are of high importance in all the following areas: Research and development. Exploitation of innovation, i.e. turning an invention into a marketable product. Innovative and competitive performance of SMEs. Innovative and competitive performance of large companies which operate internationally. Growth and jobs in the EU economy in general. Furthermore, we think that trade secrets / confidential business information influ­ence a number of areas, especially the following:  Research in research institutions. Research and development in companies. Exploitation of innovation, i.e. turning an invention into a marketable product. SMEs innovative and competitive performance. The innovative and competitive performance of large companies which operate internationally. Growth and jobs in the EU in general. Competitiveness of the EU in the world.   http://www.ipfederation.com/activities.php?news_id=69 2013-02-28 00:00:00 The IP Federation has made a proposal for harmonisation of claim formats to facilitate cooperation between Patent Offices and help users. Purely formal alignment of the law and rules relating to claim form between the European Patent Convention and USA would facilitate the use by the Examiners at the EPO and the USPTO of each other’s work, and generally be of benefit to other Offices. In addition, it would save applicants money and make patents easier for potential infringers to assess. For full details, click HERE. To see all our policy papers, click HERE. http://www.ipfederation.com/activities.php?news_id=68 2013-02-14 00:00:00 The annual newsletter in which the Federation reviews its previous twelve months’ activities, Trends and Events 2012, has now been published. It provides an overview of those IP issues which engaged industry during that period and tries to look beyond current issues to identify future areas of interest, activity or con­troversy. Trends and Events 2012 is available on this site, together with PDF versions of the individual articles in due course. As well as the President’s Intro­duc­tion, it includes articles on the following:     IP Federation The Federation’s activities Competition Revision of the rules for the assessment of licensing agreements for the transfer of technology under EU competition law   Patent Enforcement – Portugal enacts law mandating arbitration for pharmaceutical patent disputes between innovators and generics Copyright Copyright & Levies Designs Reform of the UK Designs Legal Framework Patents Additional Employee Inventor Compensation – A right too far? An Update on the America Invents Act (AIA) and Strategies to Consider European Patent Office (EPO) Update EU Patent Reform Patent Box – The Basics Patent Marking Proposal for Collaborative Search and Examination (CSE) in the PCT    Trade Marks Trade marks update Update on "plain" (more accurately, "standardised") packaging UK Issues Role of Government in Protecting and promoting Intellectual Property The UK Intellectual Property Office   IP Federation Biographies   http://www.ipfederation.com/activities.php?news_id=67 2013-02-13 00:00:00 The IP Federation has written to Viscount Younger of Leckie, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Intellectual property in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. We are urging the Government to conduct a robust economic impact analysis based on the effect on the UK economy and publish the results for scrutiny before ratifying the Unified Patent Court Agreement. http://www.ipfederation.com/activities.php?news_id=66 2013-02-07 00:00:00 The IP Federation has submitted comments to the drafting com­mittee on draft Rule 287 on Attorney–Client Privilege in the Rules of Procedure for the Unified Patent Court. The comments are consistent with the Federation’s comments in its paper PP06/10 of July 2010, to which reference may be made for further detail. However, the Federation hopes that the present paper can serve as a stand-alone document. For full details, click HERE. To see all our policy papers, click HERE. http://www.ipfederation.com/activities.php?news_id=65 2012-12-12 00:00:00 The IP Federation is urging UK intervention in Court of Justice case C-463/12 (Copydan Båndkopi). For full details, click HERE. To see all our policy papers, click HERE. http://www.ipfederation.com/activities.php?news_id=64 2012-11-22 00:00:00 The IP Federation has submitted a response to the consultation on Collaborative Search and Examination by the EPO closing 23 November 2012. The IP Federation believes that collaborative search and examination under the PCT will be the biggest single improvement in the PCT since it came into force in 1978. For full details, click HERE. To see all our policy papers, click HERE. http://www.ipfederation.com/activities.php?news_id=63 2012-11-19 00:00:00 The IP Federation has written to Lord Marland, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Intellectual property in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. It is with regret that we are urging the UK not to agree to the current proposals. We are urgently seeking a meeting with Lord Marland to discuss this matter further. http://www.ipfederation.com/activities.php?news_id=62 2012-10-26 00:00:00 The IP Federation has written to Members of JURI urging to call for the deletion of Articles 6–8 from the proposed Regulation of the European Parliament and Council. This would remove a significant political road-block enabling the dossier to continue its legislative passage. For full details, click HERE. To see all our policy papers, click HERE. http://www.ipfederation.com/activities.php?news_id=61 2012-10-25 00:00:00 The IP Federation is delighted to support the Federal Circuit Bar Association of America as it brings its 2012 International Series ‘A Search for Best Practices’ to London on the 29th and 30th November. Our President, Dr Bobby Mukherjee, has been in close contact with colleagues in the Federal Circuit Bar Association and an exciting and highly relevant programme for the two days has been developed. The Federal Circuit Bar Association invites interested parties to join other thought leaders for an engaging event examining intellectual property, trade, and procurement from the perspectives of the Courts of the United Kingdom, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and their legal and corporate communities. The programme will include: Issues Concerning Intellectual Property Adjudication Copyright, Software, Internet, and Trademark Issues Venture Capital Perspectives Contributions of Courts to the IP Systems Aspects of Fact-Finding Trade and Procurement Developments To register for this event please visit: http://events.signup4.com/london2012. http://www.ipfederation.com/activities.php?news_id=60 2012-10-01 00:00:00 The IP Federation has submitted a response to the consultation on Reform of the UK Designs Legal Framework closing 2 October 2012. In the Federation’s view, criminal penalties for deliberate infringement of registered design rights are unjustified by evidence, and in any case could not be made to work without unintended bad consequences. The Fed­eration encourages the remedying of law enacted in the CDPA 1988 (ap­plying unregistered design right to functional designs) which has proved dysfunctional and which creates legal disharmony in the EU and in­deed an unlevel playing field to the disadvantage of UK manu­facturers. For full details, click HERE. To see all our policy papers, click HERE. http://www.ipfederation.com/activities.php?news_id=59 2012-09-27 00:00:00 The IP Federation has submitted a response to the consultation on a potential EU–US trade agreement closing 27 September 2012 . The IP Federation hopes that attention will be given to address the issues discussed, namely: compulsory licences; injunctions; publication at 18 months; and patent litigation. For full details, click HERE. To see all our policy papers, click HERE. http://www.ipfederation.com/activities.php?news_id=58 2012-09-17 00:00:00 The IP Federation has submitted a response to the consultation on becoming a licensing authority for alternative business structures (ABS) with a closing date of 17 September 2012.  The IP Federation is looking for confirmation that IPReg is not intending to include companies employing in-house attorneys within the ABS regulation, and hopes to be included in any consultation on the ABS regula­tion. We are offering to review the draft regulation to ensure in-house IP departments are not inadvertently included in the regulation. For full details, click HERE. To see all our policy papers, click HERE. http://www.ipfederation.com/activities.php?news_id=57 2012-09-13 00:00:00 The IP Federation has submitted a response to a SACEPO consultation on proposed amendments to Arts. 9(1) and 11(b) RFees, in time to meet the deadline of 14 September 2012. We are urging the EPO to reconsider its stance on the proposed refunds and to provide an explanation of both the IFRS (the international accounting standard) problem and the EPO’s position on the suitability of the date of mailing of the search report and examination report as triggers, well in advance of the October 2012 meeting of the SACEPO Working Party on Rules. For full details, click HERE. To see all our policy papers, click HERE. http://www.ipfederation.com/activities.php?news_id=56 2012-09-03 00:00:00 The IP Federation has submitted a response to the con­sultation seeking seeking views on the IPO’s Patent Opinions Service, with closing date 4 September 2012. The IP Federation supports the Government’s policy objective to achieve strong and sustainable economic growth to ensure future prosperity for the UK economy. We agree that intellectual property and the ability to turn innovative, engaging and sustainable ideas into business success is a vitally important part of this. It is hoped that any changes to the IPO Patent Opinions Service will be to this end, rather than simply provide a fast-track system for revocation of patents with no safeguards built in for patent holders. For full details, click HERE. To see all our policy papers, click HERE. http://www.ipfederation.com/activities.php?news_id=55 2012-07-18 00:00:00 The IP Federation has written to the British Embassy in Portugal, requesting that every effort is made to influence the Portuguese government to effect the removal of Law 62/2011 in favour of a Law/legal system for enforcement of IP rights that is applicable in all technical fields (including pharmaceuticals). The system should be operated by a state court and in this regard the specialised IP court has been communicated to be operational in Portugal. It is imperative that the new Law/legal system for enforcement of IP rights is compliant with National, Union and International Legislation and agreements. For full details, click HERE. To see all our policy papers, click HERE. http://www.ipfederation.com/activities.php?news_id=54 2012-07-13 00:00:00 The IP Federation is pleased to announce that Dr Bobby Mukherjee has been elected as the new President of the Federation, effective 13 July 2012.   Dr Bobby Mukherjee is a qualified UK and European Patent Attorney with over 16 years’ experience of IP work gained in private practice and at BAE Systems plc. He is currently the Chief Counsel – IP & Tech­nology Law, BAE Systems. He has represented his current employer on the Patents Com­mittee and Council of the IP Federation for some of those years.   Bobby’s career has mostly been spent in the physics field, obtaining and de­fending patent protection for new pro­ducts, processes and services globally. He gained a first de­­gree in Natural Sciences (specialising in Physics) from Cam­bridge University in 1990, and then a Doctor­ate De­gree (D.Phil.) on High Temperature Super­con­duct­ors from Oxford Uni­ver­sity in 1995. He has pub­lished various research papers in Scientific Journals during that time, and during his work experience at the National Physical Laboratory.   In his spare time, Bobby enjoys spending time with friends and family, travel­ling, playing the bongos and piano, and closely following cricket.   http://www.ipfederation.com/activities.php?news_id=53 2012-06-20 00:00:00 The IP Federation has written to Liz Coleman at the IPO, in the context of negotiations for the Rio+20 sustainable development conference in Rio de Janeiro. We are asking the IPO to ensure that UK and EU negotiators enter the final stages of the negotiations well-prepared and with a very clear technology-related brief. For full details, click HERE. To see all our policy papers, click HERE. http://www.ipfederation.com/activities.php?news_id=52 2012-05-30 00:00:00 The IP Federation has written to John Alty at the IPO expressing concern about the recent decision in India to grant a compulsory licence on the ground that the patented product was not manufactured by the patentee or its licensee in India. To grant a compulsory licence on that ground is a clear violation of Article 27.1 TRIPs. For full details, click HERE. To see all our policy papers, click HERE. http://www.ipfederation.com/activities.php?news_id=51 2012-05-30 00:00:00 The IP Federation has written to Kerstin Jorna at DG MARKT highlighting the Federation’s concerns about the present proposals for the Unified Patent Court. Among other things, this makes the following points: Articles 6-8 We see nothing to require or commend the involvement of the ECJ, and are strongly urging for their deletion from the Regulation.  Bifurcation The Federation sees the prospect of bifurcation in the UPC as being wholly bad for European business. It would reduce external investment, and put European industry at a disadvantage as compared with non-European business. It would also distort competition within the internal market. Making bifurcation an option under the new system is not an answer, but actually will make matters worse by distorting the focus of patent litigation and centring it in those countries which routinely opt to bifurcate, thereby attracting patent owners to bring their infringement actions there. We therefore are urging for bifurcation to be excluded from the system entirely. For full details, click HERE. To see all our policy papers, click HERE. http://www.ipfederation.com/activities.php?news_id=50 2012-05-21 00:00:00 The IP Federation has written to the Prime Minister pleading for more discussions to build on the progress that has been made so far towards a better patent system in Europe. Unfortunately, if there are not significant changes to the proposals, they will clearly create a patent system in Europe which is substantially worse than we have today and particularly bad for European businesses. Thus we are urging the Government to consider urgently what options exist to ensure that changes are made quickly to make the proposals acceptable or, if that cannot be done, how best to ensure that more discussions take place. For full details, click HERE. To see all our policy papers, click HERE. http://www.ipfederation.com/activities.php?news_id=49 2012-05-03 00:00:00 The IP Federation’s contributions are mentioned ten times in the report of the House of Commons European Scrutiny Committee just published entitled “The Unified Patent Court: help or hindrance?” Their overall conclusions read:  Although the theory of a unitary patent and unitary patent court in Europe has long been thought desirable, the practice has long been elusive. The latest attempt appears, regrettably, to be a further example of this. Moreover, some of the criticisms raised by witnesses result from traits that are so ingrained in the operation of the EU that a legitimate question arises whether an effective unitary patent can ever be achieved within the confines of the EU’s internal legal order.   We conclude overall that the draft agreement on the Unified Patent Court is likely to hinder, rather than help, the enforcement of patents within the European Union. This will particularly be so for SMEs, the main intended beneficiaries. Given our concerns, it is vital that the UK Government adopts a strong position reflecting the concerns of practitioners in final negotiations, as well as calling for the Central Division to be in London in order to mitigate the most damaging effects of a unitary EU-wide patent. http://www.ipfederation.com/activities.php?news_id=48 2012-04-23 00:00:00 The IP Federation has submitted comments on the first draft of the Rules of Procedure of the Unified Patent Court (UPC) issued by the drafting committee following the last meeting of the Commission’s judges and lawyers expert group, with a request for comments by 23 April 2012. Our comments focus on Rules 361 and 362, relating to Privilege in the Unified Patent Court. For full details, click HERE. To see all our policy papers, click HERE. http://www.ipfederation.com/activities.php?news_id=47 2012-04-05 00:00:00 Following the IPO’s European Patent Reform Consultation meeting Monday 2 April, the IP Federation has sent a letter to senior ministers and cabinet members emphasising that location is not the only outstanding issue, and that there are still several more important substantive issues. Thus we have sent individual letters to:  No. 10 Cabinet Office George Osborne Vince Cable Ken Clarke Norman Lamb Rachael Bishop (UKREP) The overarching objective of a European patent package must be to create a better system to bring lasting benefit to the UK and Europe, without undermining innovation, competition, inward investment, growth and jobs. Anything less should not be acceptable to the UK.   Details are available on request. http://www.ipfederation.com/activities.php?news_id=46 2012-03-30 00:00:00 The IP Federation has submitted a response to the All-Party Intellectual Property Group’s inquiry into the role of Government in protecting and promoting intellectual property. Organisations wishing to submit evidence were asked to e-mail Alliance@luther.co.uk by 30 March 2012. In summary, the IP Federation is in favour of action in the following three key areas: recognition of the policy expertise of the IPO and making full use of this; better coordination of IP policy across Government; and making the UK IP policy voice heard, especially in Europe. Certain aspects of the current system work well, but there is much scope for improvement. For full details, click HERE. To see all our policy papers, click HERE. http://www.ipfederation.com/activities.php?news_id=45 2012-03-20 00:00:00 The IP Federation has submitted a response to the consultation seeking views on the Government’s proposals for implementing a number of the recommendations, relating to Copyright, which it accepted in its response to the Hargreaves Review of IP and Growth, with closing date 21 March 2012. The response focuses on the following issues: Private copying exception Parody, caricature and pastiche Protecting copyright exceptions from override by contract For full details, click HERE. To see all our policy papers, click HERE. http://www.ipfederation.com/activities.php?news_id=44 2012-03-16 00:00:00 The IP Federation has submitted a response to the IPReg Second Consultation on Replacement of the CIPA Higher Courts Qualification Regulations and the ITMA Trade Mark Litigator and Trade Mark Advocate Certificate Regulations, urging IPReg to reconsider its second round of proposals. In the absence of any evidence to justify the removal of automatic rights of audience in the PCC, the existing rights of audience and rights to conduct litigation granted to patent and trade mark attorneys should be perpetuated. For full details, click HERE. To see all our policy papers, click HERE. http://www.ipfederation.com/activities.php?news_id=43 2012-03-08 00:00:00 Administrative Assistant vacancy – Hatton Garden, London EC1 Part-time permanent position with the IP Federation The IP Federation represents the views of UK research-based industry on policy and practice matters in in­tellectual property. This is a great opportunity to join the Federation as an administrative assistant. The role would be to support the Company Secretary and undertake general office duties, including:   Dealing with correspondence and communications Organising meetings Maintaining records, files and databases Handling day-to-day finance, including generating invoices and corresponding with the bookkeeper Conducting website maintenance, including creating and uploading documents This position is offered on a permanent part-time basis. The working hours are 15 hours per week, which can be on a flexible basis over 2 or 3 days. It is essential that applicants are well organised, with an eye for detail, and able to work without super­vision. You will also need to be familiar with Microsoft Word, and ideally with Excel and Outlook. The flexible nature of the role makes this a very attractive position.   Our offices are conveniently situated 5 to 10 minutes’ walk from Farringdon and Chancery Lane Under­ground stations.   If you are interested, please contact David England by 20 April 2012.   http://www.ipfederation.com/activities.php?news_id=42 2012-02-16 00:00:00 The IP Federation is urging UK intervention in Court of Justice Case C-661/11 (Martin y Paz Diffusion SA v. David Depuydt and Fabriek van Maroquinerie Gauquie SA)  For full details, click HERE. To see all our policy papers, click HERE. http://www.ipfederation.com/activities.php?news_id=41 2012-02-08 00:00:00 The President of the IP Federation has written to the Head of EC Litigation at the Treasury Solicitor’s Department, seeking clarification of the procedure for notification from the Court of Justice about cases pending before it, and asking whether it might be possible: to provide more time to allow bodies such as us to participate fully; and to broaden the field of intellectual property law in which views are sought. http://www.ipfederation.com/activities.php?news_id=40 2012-02-03 00:00:00 The IP Federation has submitted a response to the European Commission's public consultation for the revision of the current framework for the assess­ment of technology transfer agree­ments, including the Technology Transfer Block Exemption Regulation and its corresponding Notice, scheduled to expire in April 2014, with closing date 3 February 2012. The IP Federation is broadly in favour of the Block Ex­emp­tion Regulation and Guidelines as they stand. Providing legal certainty is a great advantage to business when entering into licensing arrangements. Certain aspects of it, such as the Market Share test, could usefully be re­viewed. Even so, we would urge caution before any changes are considered or made to the Regulation which would undermine established business practice. For full details, click HERE. To see all our policy papers, click HERE. http://www.ipfederation.com/activities.php?news_id=39 2012-01-30 00:00:00 The IP Federation has submitted views in favour of the proposal to modify the International Search and Preliminary Examination Guidelines in order to provide further guidance to International Authorities on the inclusion of observations on clarity and support, as set out in Annex I to Circular C.PCT 1326. For full details, click HERE. The IP Federation has also submitted views on the Supplementary International Search System urging all IP5 Offices to become Supplementary International Search Authorities (SISAs), in response to Circular C.PCT 1329. For full details, click HERE. To see all our policy papers, click HERE. http://www.ipfederation.com/activities.php?news_id=38 2012-01-23 00:00:00 The annual newsletter in which the Federation reviews its previous twelve months’ activities, Trends and Events 2011, has now been published. It provides an overview of those IP issues which engaged industry during that period and tries to look beyond current issues to identify future areas of interest, activity or con­troversy. Trends and Events 2011 is available on this site, together with PDF versions of the individual articles. As well as the President’s Intro­duc­tion, it includes articles on the following:   IP Federation The Federation’s activities Competition Draft European Commission Block Exemption Regulation on Research and Development Agreements Copyright, Trade Marks and Designs Copyright Levies Trade Marks Hargreaves Review – Call for Evidence in the Designs Sector Unintentional Infringement of UK and Community Rights Relating to Designs Enforcement Commission Consultation on the Enforcement Directive The EU Observatory on Counterfeiting and Piracy European Issues EU Patent Reform Innovative tools and processes at the European Patent Office Practice Matters Practical issues – selecting an expert and getting the best out of them Preliminary injunctions alive and well – a view from Europe UK Issues The Hargreaves Review The UK Intellectual Property Office and Ipsum US Issues The America Invents Act harmonises US IP law with international practice, but invokes significant changes which will fundamentally impact US IP strategies IP Federation Biographies   http://www.ipfederation.com/activities.php?news_id=37 2012-01-23 00:00:00 The IP Federation has put forward views in favour of a properly designed and implemented Unitary Patent and Unified Patent Court to the European Scrutiny Committee. On the other hand, our main concerns are: Articles 6–8 (defining the rights conferred by a Unitary Patent) should be removed from the draft Regulation. The draft Agreement should allow patent owners to initiate infringe-ment proceedings and proceedings for protective and provisional measures before the Central Division. The draft Agreement should allow patent applicants to opt out of the jurisdiction of the Unified Court those patents applied for via the EPO (other than unitary patents) during the transitional period. The Central Division should not be located such as to encourage delays in the consideration of validity. Our preference would be for the Central Division to be created in London. A satisfactory and advanced draft of the Rules of Procedure should be available before signature of the Agreement. These Rules will govern the way the Court operates in practice and will be crucial to achieving satisfactory quality. For full details, click HERE. To see all our policy papers, click HERE. http://www.ipfederation.com/activities.php?news_id=36 2012-01-06 00:00:00 The IP Federation has issued a statement in support of the WIPO pilot projects on collaborative search and examination. The Federation is fully in support of the projects and looks forward to the completion of the second pilot project. The paper includes some further comments on how we should like the system to be implemented.  For full details, click HERE. To see all our policy papers, click HERE. http://www.ipfederation.com/activities.php?news_id=35 2011-12-02 00:00:00 The IP Federation is concerned that the draft Regulation and draft Agreement will precipitate a patent system in Europe which is worse than we have today. Thus we have made a plea for the UK not to initial, agree to or sign anything in which our concerns are not dealt with or which precludes further progress on structural issues.  In addition, sufficient flexibility should be left to deal with other more technical issues, such as privilege, that are problematic in the latest draft we have seen. Our main concerns are: Articles 6–8 (defining the rights conferred by a Unitary Patent) should be removed from the draft Regulation. The draft Agreement should allow patent owners to initiate infringement pro­ceedings and proceedings for protective and provisional measures before the Central Division. The draft Agreement should allow patent applicants to opt-out of the juris­diction of the Unified Court those patents applied for via the EPO (other than unitary patents) during the transitional period. The Central Division should not be located such as to encourage delays in the consideration of validity. A satisfactory and advanced draft of the Rules of Procedure should be avail­able before signature of the Agreement. For full details, click HERE. To see all our policy papers, click HERE. http://www.ipfederation.com/activities.php?news_id=34 2011-11-25 00:00:00 The IP Federation has made a plea for MEPs to push for the deletion of the infringement provisions in Articles 6–8 from the Unitary Patent Regulation, and to give full consideration is given to other significant issues to ensure we achieve a better patent system in Europe. We believe that if these issues are not addressed we risk inadvertently harming, rather than promoting, innovation in the UK and the EU. For full details, click HERE. To see all our policy papers, click HERE. http://www.ipfederation.com/activities.php?news_id=33 2011-11-17 00:00:00 The IP Federation has written to Baroness Wilcox, Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Business, Innovation and Skills, requesting that  the Central Division of the new Court should be located in London. We realise that hosting the court in London would incur some cost for the UK public purse at least in the start-up phase. However this would be more than compensated by tax revenues from legal services providers in the UK. We also believe that if the new Unified Patent Court is to meet its aspiration of having a truly European flavour, it is essential that the composition of the panels of judges in both the Central Division and the Court Of Appeal is truly multinational, meaning that there must not be more than one judge of the same nationality on any panel. For full details, click HERE. To see all our policy papers, click HERE. http://www.ipfederation.com/activities.php?news_id=32 2011-11-11 00:00:00 The IP Federation has responded to the Intellectual Property Office’s call for evidence in relation to the design sector closing on 11 November 2011, aiming to gain a better understanding of whether the design rights system in the UK is geared to the needs of business. The members of the IP Federation fully support any measures which will encourage UK design innovation by the protection of designs and harmonisation of UK rights with other rights to increase the coherence of the system without loss of protection (save in the area of functional designs). We are particularly in favour of: a review of the law by a judge-led panel; and improved search facilities for registered designs. For full details, click HERE. To see all our policy papers, click HERE. http://www.ipfederation.com/activities.php?news_id=31 2011-10-17 00:00:00 The IP Federation has responded to the IPReg consultation on Litigation Rights for Patent and Trade Mark Attorneys with deadline 17 October 2011. We support IPReg in its proposals to issue a revised qualification regime for patent attorney and trade mark attorney litigators to facilitate the grant of relevant rights to registered patent and trade mark attorneys. For full details, click HERE. To see all our policy papers, click HERE. http://www.ipfederation.com/activities.php?news_id=30 2011-09-22 00:00:00 The IP Federation has issued a statement in support of the "principles paper” prepared by a sub-group of the European Patent Reform Consultation Group constituted by the IPO, urging that the text of the agreement on a Unified Patent Court and draft Statute requires amendment.     We trust that Ministers will take heed of the arguments and conclusions presented in the principles paper. Without further revision, the current draft Agreement will fail to meet the Government’s goals of being accessible and affordable, and creating laws and procedures which are easy to use. It is more likely to increase cost and create legal uncertainty for applicants and third parties, which in turn has the potential to deter innovation, competition and growth in the UK. For full details, click HERE. To see all our policy papers, click HERE. http://www.ipfederation.com/activities.php?news_id=29 2011-09-06 00:00:00 The IP Federation has made a plea for renewed efforts to find common ground for international agreement on a number of substantive aspects of patent law, including: the prior art to be considered in relation to novelty, the principle that the patent on a given invention should be awarded to the first inventor to file, and a grace period. For full details, click HERE. To see all our policy papers, click HERE. http://www.ipfederation.com/activities.php?news_id=28 2011-08-12 00:00:00 The IP Federation has written to the IPO advocating the provision of Regulatory Data Protection in India in the EU–India trade talks.In this, we are supporting EFPIA’s position paper dated March 2011 and urging the UK to advocate the provision of Regulatory Data Protection in India in the EU–India trade talks as strongly as possible. Regulatory Data Protection is in the interest of innovative Indian pharmaceutical companies and the long term development of the Indian pharmaceutical industry. For full details, click HERE. To see all our policy papers, click HERE. http://www.ipfederation.com/activities.php?news_id=27 2011-07-29 00:00:00 The IP Federation has responded to the IPO consultation with deadline 31 July 2011. We strongly support any change to the law that will improve the current UK regulatory framework by removing the risk of patent infringement when carrying out clinical and field trials involving pharmaceuticals. The ultimate aim should be to harmonise law throughout the EU in this area, but until this happens we advocate changing the UK patent law unilaterally to exempt from infringement all activities relating to regulatory approval of a drug product. For full details, click HERE. To see all our policy papers, click HERE. http://www.ipfederation.com/activities.php?news_id=26 2011-07-13 00:00:00 In AD 1611, a set of scholars sat in Stationers’ Hall, a stone’s throw from St Paul’s Cathedral in the City of London, and put the finishing touches to the King James Bible. Four hundred years later, the 2011 AGM and Annual Lunch of the IP Federation were held on Friday 8th July at the same venue. The Rt. Hon. Professor Sir Robin Jacob was the guest speaker, and provided an authoritative yet entertaining talk on current intellectual property issues. We wish Sir Robin every success at the Institute of Brand and Innovation Law (IBIL) in the coming year.  http://www.ipfederation.com/activities.php?news_id=25 2011-06-20 00:00:00 The IP Federation has written to the EPO asking it to reconsider its decision not to include a “clarity” tab on the proposed web page for making observations, and to amend the Guidelines to make explicit the fact that third parties may object under Art. 115 EPC to lack of clarity of the claims of European patent applications. It is in everyone’s interest that patents granted by the EPO are of the highest quality. We believe this modest proposal, requiring negligible investment of time and resources, would make a major contribution to attaining this goal. For full details, click HERE. To see all our policy papers, click HERE. http://www.ipfederation.com/activities.php?news_id=24 2011-05-18 00:00:00 The IP Federation has submitted a response to Government proposals that open standards should be sought whenever it is procuring IT equipment. These were outlined in their Procurement Policy Note on Use of Open Standards when specifying ICT requirements dated 31 January 2011. In summary, the members of the IP Federation trust that the Government will review this policy for using open standards whenever it is procuring IT equipment. It is essential that purchasing decisions should be based on merit and best whole-life cost, and that UK innovators who seek to license their IPR on fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory (FRAND) terms are not prejudiced in UK public procurement. For full details, click HERE. To see all our policy papers, click HERE. http://www.ipfederation.com/activities.php?news_id=23 2011-05-18 00:00:00 The final report on the Independent Review of IP and Growth chaired by Professor Ian Hargreaves and assisted by a panel of experts, Digital Opportunity, has now been pub­lished. For more information please visit: http://www.ipo.gov.uk/ipreview.htm The Review makes ten recommendations designed to ensure that the UK has an IP frame­work best suited to supporting innovation and promoting economic growth in the digital age. These relate to: Evidence International priorities Copyright licensing Orphan works Limits to copyright Patent thickets and other obstructions to innovation The design industry Enforcement of IP rights Small firm access to IP advice An IP system responsive to change http://www.ipfederation.com/activities.php?news_id=22 2011-04-21 00:00:00 The IP Federation has submitted a policy paper on the enforcement of intellectual property rights. This is by way of belated response to the consultation on the Commission Report on the enforcement of intellectual property rights which closed on 31 March 2011, and supports the position of the UK Government, which response can be accessed on the IPO website at: http://www.ipo.gov.uk/pro-policy/policy-enforcement/policy-enforcement-civil.htm For full details, click HERE. To see all our policy papers, click HERE. http://www.ipfederation.com/activities.php?news_id=21 2011-04-20 00:00:00 The IP Federation has submitted a response to the Intellectual Property Office's formal consultation concerning proposals to amend the Patents Act 1977 by regulation, to provide for online patent document inspection. Under the proposals, a new section 118A will be introduced into the Act to provide that any copyright in documents made available for inspection under section 118(1) is not infringed by making the documents available to the public by electronic transmission in such a way that the documents may be accessed by members of the public, from a place and at a time individually chosen by them, or by copying the documents for facilitating their being made available in this way. The IP Federation strongly supports efforts to provide for online file inspection. While we have no objection to the proposal to introduce regulations amending the Patents Act 1977, we consider that more general provision should be made in the Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988. For full details, click HERE. To see all our policy papers, click HERE http://www.ipfederation.com/activities.php?news_id=20 2011-03-31 00:00:00 The President of the IP Federation has written to Baroness Wilcox, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, making the following points: The IP Federation has been following closely the developments regarding patents in the EU, in particular the Opinion of the Court of Justice on the European and EU Patent Court (1/09) dated 8 March 2011, and the Competitiveness Council decision of 10 March 2011 to authorise Enhanced Cooperation on creation of the EU patent. There have been suggestions that the dossiers on the European and EU Patent Court on the one hand, and creation of the EU Patent on the other, could be decoupled. Although the IP Federation accepts that this might assist timelines and process, it is our view that the two issues are inextricably linked, and cannot be considered in isolation from each other. The ultimate purpose of a patent is to give its proprietor the right to stop others from using his or her invention without permission. This right has to be enforced through the courts. There is a danger that this ultimate purpose will be lost sight of in a decoupled approach. Consequently, we are opposed to any split that could result in there being an EU Patent without a court ready to enforce it. At a recent meeting we attended, this was aptly compared to “making a car without a motor”. There is understandable enthusiasm amongst the Member States involved in Enhanced Cooperation to create an EU Patent, but the arrangements must not be rushed through. It is important that all aspects are taken fully into account before any final decisions are made. The current proposals are certainly a step forward, and we are pleased that measures are being taken to give innovators the option to protect their inventions at an affordable cost. See also our Policy Paper PP01/11.   http://www.ipfederation.com/activities.php?news_id=19 2011-03-31 00:00:00 The President of the IP Federation has written to John Alty, Chief Executive of the Intellectual Property Office, making the following points: Until all fees are payable by credit card, our members need to operate deposit accounts at the IPO.  However, there is an increasing reluctance in some companies to make pre-payments (which is what use of a deposit account amounts to), because of corporate governance concerns.  There may well come a time, possibly quite soon, when at least some of our members will not be permitted to use a deposit account at the IPO, and so some filing options will not be available to them. The processes used to top-up deposit accounts fall outside the normal financial processes of many businesses and so are labour-intensive and inefficient.  At least some users would be keen to move to credit card payments for all fee payments if this were possible, and abandon their deposit accounts altogether. In relation to PCT fees, which are mostly passed on to WIPO, we believe the handling fee should cover any credit card charges.  If the handling fee is not sufficient to cover the credit card charges, a supplement for paying PCT fees by credit card could be looked at, at least so that this payment route is available as a safety net in an emergency. If credit card payments were introduced for all fees, the IPO would save resource, not just in administering the deposit accounts, but also in responding to requests for statements – which are not yet available online.   http://www.ipfederation.com/activities.php?news_id=18 2011-03-29 00:00:00 The IP Federation has submitted a response to WIPO proposals as to the details of how the International Bureau intends to implement a Third Party Observation System system under the PCT. We welcome this development, but are concerned that the 28 month deadline leaves little opportunity for applicants to react in the international phase For full details, click HERE. To see all our policy papers, click HERE http://www.ipfederation.com/activities.php?news_id=17 2011-03-21 00:00:00 The IP Federation has submitted a response to the IPO public Consultation about equalisation of remedies for unintentional design infringement launched on 1 December 2010.  The IP Federation supports Proposal 1 in the Consultation, namely that the law on designs should be harmonised so that there is no financial compensation of the right owner for innocent infringement of – UK registered designs, Community registered designs, UK unregistered design right, or Community unregistered design. For full details, click HERE. To see all our policy papers, click HERE.   http://www.ipfederation.com/activities.php?news_id=16 2011-03-04 00:00:00 The IP Federation has submitted a response to the Review of Intellectual Property and Growth: Call for Evidence with a closing date of 4 March 2011. We believe that, contrary to the sceptical opinions held by some, the IP systems in the UK, in the rest of Europe, and elsewhere when in compliance with inter­national agreements, are generally sound. They are not broken and do not need major adjustment. The first need is to improve quality and efficiency within the existing systems. The response includes some new figures which we have put together on patent trolls, notably in Europe. For full details, click HERE. To see all our policy papers, click HERE. http://www.ipfederation.com/activities.php?news_id=15 2011-02-21 00:00:00 The IP Federation has submitted a response to the Con­sultation on the introduction of a Patent Box with a closing date of 22 February 2011. In summary:  The IP Federation has not reached a unanimous view on the desirability of the Patent Box. The proposed system is needlessly complex and could be unviable as it stands. R&D tax credits should not be reduced to fund the Patent Box. For full details, click HERE. To see all our policy papers, click HERE.   http://www.ipfederation.com/activities.php?news_id=14 2011-02-14 00:00:00 The IP Federation has sent a paper to the President of the European Patent Office, saying the following An iterative examination process will often be the best way of ensuring that the examiner fully appreciates the invention and the applicant’s aims, while the applicant has an adequate opportunity to respond to the examiner’s objections. It is the way to ensure that a high quality patent is granted.  Telephone discussions are to be encouraged and training given to examiners to help them with this. In appropriate cases, it would be good practice for the examiner to schedule a preliminary technical conversation with the applicant, to ensure that there is a common understanding of the nature and objectives of the invention. Oral proceedings should be a matter of last resort. When they are necessary, they should be conducted by video, telephone or on-line conference if requested by the applicant. The summons to oral proceedings should clearly define the issues and new objections should, in general, not be raised in oral proceedings.  We have made the following recommendation:  Examiner training should take account of these points and the Guidelines to Examination should be amplified to give them proper emphasis. Please advise if you would like to see a copy of our paper. http://www.ipfederation.com/activities.php?news_id=13 2011-02-01 00:00:00 The IP Federation has issued a statement in support of the Commission’s proposal to invoke en­hanced cooperation in order to move forward with the creation of a unitary patent in Europe, as a further option for obtaining patent protection, though with concerns about any extension of the Court of Justice’s role, In particular, we are fully in support of the request for enhanced cooperation dated 8 December 2010 from Baroness Wilcox on behalf of the UK Government. We share concerns about any extension of the EU Court of Justice’s role in interpreting substantive patent law. For full details, click HERE. To see all our policy papers, click HERE. http://www.ipfederation.com/activities.php?news_id=12 2011-01-27 00:00:00 Plans to use the enhanced co-operation procedure to create a unitary patent system in the EU, as requested by 12 Member States last year, were approved by the Legal Affairs Committee today. The committee gave its consent to the use of enhanced cooperation to create unitary patent protection in a report by Klaus-Heiner Lehne, which was approved by a large majority. As outlined in the European Parliament press release, the request was by 12 Member States (Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Lithuania, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Poland, Slovenia, Sweden and the UK), but other Member States may join the enhanced cooperation at any time.  The European Parliament as a whole will vote on the proposal during the February Strasbourg session and the Competitiveness Council will examine it on 10 March. If the enhanced cooperation is authorised by both Parliament and the Council, the Commission will present two proposals:  one on the language regime (consultation procedure); and the other establishing the single patent (co-decision procedure). The IP Federation is putting together a policy paper on some aspects of the procedure. http://www.ipfederation.com/activities.php?news_id=11 2010-12-14 00:00:00 The annual newsletter in which the Federation reviews its previous twelve months’ activities, Trends and Events 2010, has now been published. It provides an overview of those IP issues which engaged industry during that period and tries to look beyond current issues to identify future areas of interest, activity or con­troversy. Trends and Events 2010 is available on this site, together with PDF versions of the individual articles. As well as the President’s Intro­duc­tion, it includes articles on the following:   IP Federation The Federation’s achievements The Federation on the Web  Competition Draft European Commission Block Exemption Regulation on Research and Development Agreements  Copyright, Trade Marks and Designs Copyright Levies Trade Marks Future of Design Law in UK  European Issues Review of EU Customs Anti-Counterfeiting Regulation EU Patent Reform European Qualifying Examination (EQE) European Patent Office Single Patent Process (SPP) Programme  Patents Patent Quality Developments in the Patentability of Computer Software and Business Method Inventions  Practice Matters New System for Regulation of UK Lawyers including Patent and Trade Mark Attorneys Privilege  UK Issues The UK Intellectual Property Office StrategicAdvisory Board for Intellectual Property Policy (SABIP)  IP Federation Biographies http://www.ipfederation.com/activities.php?news_id=10 2010-12-08 00:00:00 The Intellectual Property Office in the UK has announced in a press release the panel of experts advising the independent review into the intellectual property system. The review was launched by Prime Minister David Cameron during a speech to an audience of high tech businesses and entrepreneurs in London’s East End last month. Congratulations to Dr Roger Burt for being selected for the panel of experts. Roger is a a past President of the IP Federation, and brings a business background to the panel.   http://www.ipfederation.com/activities.php?news_id=9 2010-10-26 00:00:00 The President of the IP Federation has written to John Alty, Chief Executive of the Intellectual Property Office, saying the following:  I note from the CIPA Journal of August 2010 (page 515), and your speech at the CIPA Congress very recently, that the IPO intends to make on-line file inspection available for UK patent applications. On behalf of the IP Federation, I am writing to applaud this development and to encourage it to become available as soon as possible. When evaluating a third-party European patent application or patent (for example to as­sess its likely validity), it has become second nature to review the file on-line at the EPO. Many patent attorneys will review several such files each day. Sometimes a view on validity of a patent right has to be delivered in a very short time-frame (1 day or less). The lack of analogous on-line file inspection for UK patent applications means a fully informed view on the validity of a UK patent right cannot be given in time. The resulting legal uncertainty is a bad for UK industry. On-line file inspection is also very useful for applicants to view their own application documents, particularly small applicants such as SMEs. There is some concern about the free availability of inventor addresses, particularly in the pharmaceutical sector. Hopefully, this issue will be taken into account in the system as it develops. http://www.ipfederation.com/activities.php?news_id=8 2010-09-24 00:00:00 The IP Federation has issued a statement in support of the principles expressed in the proposal for a Council Regulation on the translation arrangements for the European Union patent. The members of the Federation support principles expressed in the proposal for the Council Regulation (EU) on the translation arrangements for the European Union patent, issued by the Commission in July 2010, though have some concerns about some of the details of the draft Regulation which will need to be discussed in due course. In particular, we are happy with the proposal that an EU patent will be processed, granted and published in one of the three official languages of the European Patent Office (EPO) with claims translated into the other two official languages upon grant, and no further translations being required except in case of dispute. For full details, click HERE. To see all our policy papers, click HERE. http://www.ipfederation.com/activities.php?news_id=6 2010-07-12 00:00:00 The IP Federation is pleased to announce that Mr James Hayles has been elected as the new President of the Federation, effective 9 July 2010. James is a qualified UK and European Patent Attorney with over 20 years’ experience of IP work gained in private practice, Fisons plc and Pfizer Limited. He has represented his employers on both the Patents Committee and Council of the IP Federation for many of those years, and latterly also the IP Expert Network of the ABPI. His career has mostly been spent in the pharmaceutical field, obtaining and defending patent protection for new products globally. He gained a first degree in Chemistry with Biochemistry from Oxford University in 1987, and an LLM in IP Litigation from Nottingham Trent University in 2009. In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with friends and family, walking and sailing.   http://www.ipfederation.com/activities.php?news_id=5 2010-06-03 00:00:00 The IP Federation has appointed a new Secretary, David England, effective 1 June 2010. David England is a qualified UK and European patent attorney with 25 years' experience gained at Reckitt & Colman, Astra Pharmaceuticals and BTG International. During his career, he has worked extensively on the creation, defence and licensing of intellectual property (mainly patents, but also designs and trade marks), and has represented his employers on both the Patents and Designs Committees of the IP Federation. He served as a member of the UK Government's WIPO Patents Focus Group from its inception to its demise. In his spare time, he sings with the highly-regarded BBC Symphony Chorus, performing regularly at venues including the Barbican and the Royal Albert Hall. We are delighted that David has agreed to join the staff of the IP Federation.  His extensive practical knowledge of IP and his academic background (Cambridge degree in Natural Sciences) make him well qualified to take the Federation forward at the start of its 10th decade of representing the IP interests of industry.  He can be contacted at the Federation from early June on David.England@ipfederation.com