PAST TIPLO EVENT:

With TIPLO’s usual knack of picking a topic which is both interesting and though provoking for its audience of members and guests, the latest event hosted by the TIPLO committee certainly did not disappoint. We were fortunate to tempt into our legal circles a chairman and speaker whose feet are firmly planted in the big-wide world of reality and commerce. They brought to bear a unique and fascinating perspective of copyright in the world outside the narrow margins of litigation – speaking with first hand experience of licensing models, optimisation of income streams, showcasing of IP portfolios and adaptations to optimise the flexibility which is clearly a key to meeting the myriad new demands of digital access, e-commerce and world wide media exposure for many types of copyright works.
 
Iain Wilcock is a Oxford educated Bio-Chemist with a keen interest in pharma and bio-tech patents which keeps him busy with his “day job” as a venture capitalist and investment partner with a leading French investment bank. However, his experience and interest in broader-based IP matters led to his former occupation of roles as a Chairman of Methuen (the publishing house) and Deputy Chair of SABIP (the standing advisory board to the Government on IP Matters). Iain chaired the meeting and spoke of his own views from an advisory and financial sector perspective.

Our second speaker was the well known activist in, and contributor to, the field of copyright reform, Mark Bide. Mark is also a director of Rightscom and has well over 30 years of personal experience in the publishing industry. He clearly has a passionate interest in networking technologies and is a fervent advocate of moving with the times.

Also attending TIPLO for the first time, and very welcome indeed, was our third speaker, Frances Pinter who combines the dual and weighty achievements of being a visiting fellow at LSE and also a leading publisher at Bloomsbury Academic (with a group association to the famous publisher of the “Harry Potter” novels.) Frances is particularly interested in creative commons, orphan works and new business models.