Insider: March 2022

23rd Feb 2022

Spring sees our work continue.

President's Welcome

As spring approaches, we are continuing our work across a range of areas. In particular, our work on address for service and representation before the UK IPO is still very much ongoing and remains a key priority for CITMA.

Thank you to everyone who took part in our recent “town hall” meeting. We had an excellent turnout, and the questions and feedback have fed directly into the planning of our next steps. We are looking forward to updating you on our progress.

This will be my final column as President, so I’d like to take the opportunity to make a few important acknowledgements.

The past two years have not been without their challenges, but I’m proud of what CITMA has achieved. Being trusted with this role has been deeply gratifying. Thank you all for your support during my term – I look forward to continuing to contribute to CITMA.

I would like to pay tribute to the network of volunteers who help to keep our work moving forwards. It is the support of these individuals and their firms which has allowed us to achieve all that we have over the past few years.

I would also like to offer my best wishes to my successor, with hopes for a more “normal” term than my own.

Richard Goddard, CITMA President

Joint honour at 2021 CITMA awards

We were delighted recently to announce the winners of the 2021 CITMA awards. Although we were not able to present the awards at a Christmas Lunch as is traditional, we look forward to congratulating the winners in person soon.

The awards are presented annually for the highest marks achieved by a Student member on the trade mark attorney qualification courses at Queen Mary University of London, Bournemouth University and Nottingham Law School. In addition, the Roy Scott Award is presented to the student who achieved the top mark on the CITMA Paralegal Course.

This year also saw an unusual joint award, as two participants scored 94 out of 100 in the final exam. On receiving the news, both winners noted that they were honoured to have their efforts recognised in this way.

CITMA award winners 2021:

Roy Scott Award

Gyongyver Filser, Freelance
Szu-Yu Tao, Pinsent Masons

Postgraduate Certificate in Trade Mark Law and Practice at Queen Mary University of London

Abigail Macklin, D Young & Co

Postgraduate Certificate in IP at Bournemouth University

Hannah Cowley, Armstrong Teasdale

Professional Certificate in Trade Mark Practice course at Nottingham Law School

Jessica Fuller, Brand Murray Fuller

For more information, please visit citma.org.uk/cawards

IPReg consultation open now

IPReg has invited responses to a consultation on its regulatory arrangements. The review will clarify and solidify IPReg’s current goals and direction. Responses are welcomed until 5pm on 17th March 2022. Find out more at citma.org.uk/ipcon

UAE joins Madrid Protocol

The United Arab Emirates is now the 109th jurisdiction to become a signatory to the Madrid Protocol. It follows Bahrain and Oman as the third Gulf state to join the Protocol, having officially acceded on 28th December 2021. Learn more at citma.org.uk/uaemadpro

No action on exhaustion

The UK Government needs more time to explore a new exhaustion of IP regime, meaning no change is imminent, it has announced. Following a consultation, the Government said “there is not enough data available to understand the economic impact of any of the alternatives to the current regime”. Read more at citma.org.uk/ipregime