30 SEPTEMBER 2025: LOOKALIKES, DUPES AND TRADE MARK PROTECTION PANEL EVENT
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.
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.
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.
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.
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?
Please note: All educational events qualify for 1 CPD hour each. SRA CPD reference number is 3471/IPSOC.
Hosted at Gosnells
Hosted at One Great George Street
IPSoc were delighted to be hosted by RPC for a Q&A session with LJ Birss
Katherine Moggridge of 3 New Square to recap on the principles of inventive concept, and discuss the key take homes from Advanced Bionics v Med-El and Teva v Novartis (Deferasirox)
Gwilym Harbottle of Hogarth Chambers joined us to talk through NFTs and the relevant IP
Jacob Turner, Ryan Abbott and Pierre Oliviere join us for a panel discussion to explain the relationship between AI and IP and the related legal issues
Justin Turner QC of 3 New Square delivered a presentation on insufficiency in patent cases following Fibrogen v Akebia
4 Pump Court delivered a webinar on IP and Green Tech, including key IP rights to protect green technologies
Dr Hayleigh Bosher and Adam Rendle delivered a talk and panel discussion on music copyright and the music streaming inquiry
Douglas Campbell QC of Three New Square delivered a talk on the Actavis v Lilly rules
Chris Aikens, junior barrister at 11 South Square, provided a webinar on the effective preparation and conduct of remote hearings and trials.
Lindsay Lane QC and Beth Collett of 8 New Square Chambers provided a very informative webinar on SPCs
The IPSoc Committee hosted a Q&A with Lord Kitchin, Justice of the Supreme Court
IPSoc were joined by Simon Malynicz QC to speak on the potentially ground-breaking Sky v SkyKick CJEU trade mark case
Thank you to everyone who attended. Please see the IPKat’s helpful summary of the evening if you were not able to join us - http://ipkitten.blogspot.com/2019/01/from-star-wars-to-diversity-audience.html
IPSoc was delighted to welcome Baroness Hale to talk to its members about her career and answer any questions IPSoc members may have.
Baroness Hale was called to the Bar by Gray’s Inn in 1969 and worked as a barrister and in academia, becoming Professor of Law at Manchester in 1986. She was appointed a Recorder in 1989, and in 1994 became a judge in the Family Division of the High Court. In 1999 she became only the second woman to be appointed to the Court of Appeal; in 2013 she was appointed as Deputy President of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom, and in 2017 she became its President, becoming the first woman to hold the role.
Thank you to everyone who attended. Please see the IPKat’s helpful summary of the evening if you were not able to join us - http://ipkitten.blogspot.com/2019/01/from-star-wars-to-diversity-audience.html
The Annual Dinner 2018 took place on Friday 23rd November 2018 at the Waldorf Hilton, Aldwych.
Isabel Jamal of 8 New Square and James Marshall of Taylor Wessing
This event was kindly sponsored by Kilburn & Strode
Deputy Judge David Stone
This event was kindly sponsored by Allen & Overy LLP
Don McCombie of Clyde & Co
This event was kindly sponsored by Clyde & Co
Mr Justice Birss
This event was kindly sponsored by Osborne Clark LLP
Sir Robin Jacob
This event was kindly sponsored by Powell Gilbert LLP
Dr Eleonora Rosati (Associate Professor in IP Law at the University of Southampton and major contributor to the IPKat blog)
This event was kindly sponsored by Simmons & Simmons LLP
HHJ Hacon
This event was kindly sponsored by Bristows LLP
Simon Malynicz QC
This event was kindly sponsored by Osborne Clark LLP
Gathering evidence in patent proceedings
The event was supported by the European Patent Lawyers’ Association (EPLAW) which represents patent litigators across Europe.
Calum Smith (Barclays) and Jennifer Bryant (Sky)
This event was kindly sponsored by Gowling WLG LLP
Mr Justice Henry Carr
This event was kindly sponsored by Irwin Mitchell LLP.
Alan Johnson (Partner, Bristows) and Tim Frain (Director of IP and IP Regulation, Nokia)
This event was kindly sponsored by Bristows LLP.
Michael Hicks
This event was kindly sponsored by Fieldfisher LLP.
Christopher Vajda QC, the current serving UK judge at the Court of Justice of the European Union.
This event was kindly sponsored by Allen & Overy LLP
Charlotte May QC
This event was kindly sponsored by Wragge Lawrence Graham & Co
Lord Hoffman
This event was kindly sponsored by Herbert Smith Freehills
HHJ Richard Hacon
This event was kindly sponsored by Wragge Lawrence Graham & Co
Jeremy Newman (Partner, Rouse), Mark Bearfoot (Brand Protection Manager EMEA, Harley-Davidson), Tim Waring (Director, Netmonita)
This event was kindly sponsored by Carpmaels & Ransford LLP
Tom Moody-Stuart (8 New Square)
This event was kindly sponsored by Mayer Brown International LLP
Ben Challis (General Counsel, Glastonbury Festival)
This event was kindly sponsored by Bird & Bird LLP
Mr Justice Birss, Gill Smith (Group IP Director, Dyson) and David Stone (Partner, Simmons & Simmons & author of "European Union Design Law - A Practitioners' Guide")
This event was kindly sponsored by Hogan Lovells International LLP
Leading judgments from the CJEU and the UK courts: Key developments in the Law
Emma Himsworth QC
Christopher Rennie-Smith (Chairman of Board 3.3.04, Technical Board of Appeal, EPO) and Andrew Sheard (Independent Patent Attorney)
Michael Edenborough QC
Stewart Room, Field Fisher Waterhouse
This event was kindly sponsored by Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer
David Musker, Jenkins
Anthony C Tridico Ph.D, Finnegan
Mark Chacksfield, 8 New Square
Key Issues in Trade Mark Law (including Interflora v M&S)
Professor Lionel Bently
Copyright and the Challenges in the Cloud
Will Page (Chief Economist, PRS for Music) and Tom Frederiske (Partner, Clintons)
Opportunities for Junior IP Practitioners
HHJ Birss
Daniel Alexander QC, 8 New Square
Denise McFarland, 3 New Square
Henry Carr, 11 South Square
Simon Thorley QC & Colin Birss, 3 New Square
The Hon. Sir Robin Jacob