EVENTS

All events are open only to fully paid-up members of the society.  All members will receive an email invitation, including sign-up and payment instructions (where applicable).  Please note that your membership will need to be confirmed before you can sign up to our events.  If you wish to become a member, please fill in the form here.   

 

UPCOMING EVENTS


annual dinner - 7 november 2025

We are delighted to announce that this year’s IPSoc Annual Dinner will take place at the Underglobe, a stunning venue located beneath the iconic Shakespeare’s Globe on the banks of the Thames.

📅 The Date: Friday, 7 November 2025

⏲️The Time: 19:00 till late

📍 The Place: 21 New Globe Walk, Bankside, London, SE1 9DT

🎟️ Tickets: £90 for private-practice members, £60 for in-house members

Tickets have now sold out, but you can join the Waitlist here.


winter educational - Q&A with mrs justice bacon - 18 November 2025

Our end of the year Judge’s Q&A returns! We are delighted to host the Honourable Mrs Justice Bacon for our final event of the season.

📅 When: 18 November 2025
🐝 Where: RPC, Tower Bridge House, St Katharine’s Way, London, E1W 1AA
⏲️ When: timings TBC

Keep an eye out for more details!


Please be aware that photographs and/or video may be taken at these event for promotional and archival purposes.


 

EDUCATION INSIGHTS

Welcome to Education Insights, where we share short write-ups of the latest educational events we host. Whether you missed the event or want a quick recap, we’ve got the key takeaways below.

 

The Fine Line: Lookalikes, Dupes and Trade Mark Protection

In the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision in Thatchers v Aldi, IPSoc gathered a knockout panel to discuss what impact it may have in the battle between brand owners and imitators.

As the saying goes, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but the fight against dupes and lookalikes shows no sign of slowing down. Bringing insight from the coalface was John Noble, Director of the British Brands Group. John was joined on the panel by Florian Traub of Pinsent Masons and Simon Malynicz KC of Hogarth Chambers, who were steered through the discussion by Kendall Watkinson, also of Hogarth Chambers, on a whistle stop tour of the important cases from the last few years – revisiting everything from caterpillars to luxury home gym equipment and chicken shops.

Each panellist brought their own views and anecdotes, as well as plenty of tips for IPSoc members about how to best navigate the current rights regime. There was consensus from the panel that there is no obvious easy route at the moment, in the absence of unfair competition laws of the kind relied on by brand owners in the EU. Registration of both trade marks and designs seemingly remains the strongest weapon in the fight again dupes, and certainly played a crucial part in Thatchers’ victory. Registration obviously requires significant forward planning and budget though. Is it therefore surprising that some smaller brands are choosing to seek justice in the court of public opinion instead?

 
 

PAST EVENTS

Please note: All educational events qualify for 1 CPD hour each. SRA CPD reference number is 3471/IPSOC.