Join UKFT, Keltie.com and SIPS for our annual look at the latest developments in Intellectual Property on 25^th November at 10h30 on Zoom.

Much has changed with regard to IP protection since the UK left the EU and some companies are still struggling to work out what Brexit means for their IP in the UK and the EU. Next year we expect to see more developments on the IP front as the UK potentially signs new trade agreements with countries such as Australia, New Zealand and India. What does this mean for your business? Keltie.com will gives us an overview of some of the challenges and suggest how companies should be protecting themselves.

For those looking at the Chinese market or manufacturing there, how have the rules changed here? How can you protect your trademarks and IP in China? Is trademark squatting still an issue? China IP specialist SIPS will talk us through this.

We will be joined by Dan Plane from SIPS and Azhar from Keltie.

Dan Plane, managing director at SIPS,  has practiced as a China IP specialist for almost 20 years and focuses on both enforcement of rights – both in Asia and globally – and trademark prosecution. He also serves on the International Trademark Association’s (INTA) Anti-Counterfeiting Committee.

Before joining SIPS, Dan worked in Shanghai and Hong Kong with Baker McKenzie and Gide, and previously in-house, managing anti-counterfeiting throughout Asia for LVMH and in EMEA for Nokia.

Dan acts on behalf of a wide range of clients, including garment manufacturers, electronics and computer companies, pharmaceuticals companies, and luxury goods manufacturers. Of particular note is his wealth of experience in designing and managing regional intellectual property programs and IP security programs in supply chain and distribution contexts.

Dan is recognised as a leading practitioner by industry publications such as IP Stars, WTR 1000, Chambers and Legal 500.

Azhar Sadique, chartered trade mark attorney at Keltie, joined Keltie in 2009 as a law graduate from the University of Derby. He qualified as a Chartered Trade Mark Attorney, European Trade Mark Attorney and Member of the Chartered Institute of Trade Mark Attorneys in 2013 receiving the John Parker Memorial Award for his qualification results. He became a partner at Keltie in 2019.

Azhar’s trade mark practice ranges from the filing and prosecution of UK, European Union and International trade mark and design applications to clearance searches, due diligence projects and advising on the law of infringement and passing off. Throughout his career, Azhar has managed the portfolios of many clients with an international reach and advises on worldwide filing and branding strategies. He also has a particular focus with respect to online enforcement, social media takedowns and anti-counterfeiting strategies.

In addition to trade marks, Azhar also advises on copyright and design matters and handles all aspects of domain name disputes before Nominet and WIPO. Azhar also has experience negotiating settlement, co-existence and assignment agreements and has represented clients in mediations.