IP and Food

Gary Townley

Jane Lambert

Tomorrow, between 10:00 and 13:30, Gary Townley, business and events manager at the Intellectual Property Office will talk about IP for the food and drink industry at Northampton Central Library. You can register for the event here.

I don't know what Gary will be talking about but there is a lot of IP connected with food and drink:

• plant breeders' rights for new grain and seed varieties (see my article on Protecting Investment in New Plant Varieties 4 May 2016 Linkedin);
• geographical indications for food and agricultural products;
• patents for new agricultural, food preparation, processing and distribution technology;
• trade marks for food and drink brands and 
• passing off for hotels and restaurants but not plastic lemons.

As I reported in Thought for Food 26 Sept 2017 NIPC London Gary has already spent the last two days at the Takeaway & Restaurant Innovation 2017 Expo.

IP in food production, preparation, marketing and distribution is a subject of which I do have had a lot of experience having been in some important cases and having advised and represented some rising stars in the industry. If you are involved in that sector I should be glad to talk to you. Call +44 (0)20 7404 5252 during office hours or send me a message through my contact form.

Northamptonshire Central Library joins the PatLib Network

Northamptonshire Central Library

Photo Wikipedia

The PatLib network is a European network of libraries providing information on patents and other intellectual property rights to their local communities. I have written extensively about the PatLib network and you will find basic information and links to my other articles in PatLib Libraries in the UK 29 Jan 2015 Inventors Club blog, There are 15 PatLib libraries in the UK and Northamptonshire Central Library is one of the latest to join the network.

The Library offers a variety of business support and IP services in association with Northamptonshire Enterprise Partnership. These include:

• information on IP, copies of IPO and EPO literature
• enquiry service by appointment
• advice on searching
• free public access to internet, IP information resources, databases
• commissioned IP searches
• bespoke training sessions
• business information advice sessions
• referrals to other advice/service providers
• workshops and seminars.

More information about these and other services can be obtained from the Northamptonshire Enterprise Hub Facebook page.

Sheffield Business and IP Centre

Sheffield Central Library

Photo Wikipedia

Jane Lambert

Although in Yorkshire Sheffield is the nearest big town for much of the region. Its Central Library is one of 13 PatLib (Patent Information Libraries) in the United Kingdom. The only other PatLib library close to the East Midlands is in Birmingham. The PatLib libraries are part of a European network that provide information on patents and other intellectual property rights to businesses and individuals in their regions. Each of the PatLib libraries has specialist librarians who offer patent, trade mark and design searches and a range of other services.

Sheffield and Birmingham Central Libraries have recently formed a partnership with the British Library and a number of other central libraries to form the Business and IP Centre Network. The network offers

"free access to a wealth of databases, market research, journals, directories and reports. There is a programme of free and low-cost one-to-one advice and workshops delivered by trained staff and business experts on a range of topics including starting up, business planning, marketing and intellectual property."

In addition to those services Sheffield Business and IP Centre also hosts an inventors group (which I helped to start over 8 years ago), an innovator in residence and regular patent clinics (free consultations with local patent or trade mark agents).

From time to time Sheffield Business and IP Centre organizes special events which I will try to mention in this blog whenever I can. The next such event is Inspiring Entrepreneurs: Movers and Shakers which will consist of a talk by Rekha Mehr followed by a live streaming from London of a panel discussion by

• Michael Acton-Smith OBE, founder of MindCandy
• Vanita Parti, founder of Blink Brow Bar
• Sam Bompas, founder of Bompas & Parr.

The event will take place at The Electric Works, Sheffield Digital Campus, Sheffield, S1 2BJ on 22 Sept 2014 between 17:45 and 21:00 (see "Forthcoming Events: Sheffield - Movers and Shakers" 13 Aug 2014 IP Yorks).

Although not connected with the Library there is another event in Sheffield which may interest readers and that is Mel Wong's attempt to break the word record for continuous grands battements (high kicks in ballet) which will take place at Hype dance studios on 22 Aug 2014 (see "Forthcoming Events: Sheffield - Mel's World Record Attempt" 13 Aug 2014 IP Yorks).

You can contact Sheffield Business and IP Centre by telephone on 0114 2734736 or by Email information.library@sheffield.gov.uk.