IP seminar
29 January 2010
LJMU’s Business Development Centre (BDC) recently delivered an Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) seminar at the School of Computer and Mathematical Sciences.
The seminar was delivered by Inna Lekshtedt and Jon Barrett of the BDC in conjunction with Mark Kenrick, a software IPR specialist from Marks and Clerk.
The purpose of the seminar was to familiarise academics with the processes involved in protecting Intellectual Property Rights. The dual delivery approach with one of the BDC team presenting alongside an IPR attorney is the model that the BDC intend to adopt with further seminars across the University.
In this first seminar the knowledge and experience of Mark Kenrick was invaluable and included detailed insight into the protection of computer related technologies - a complicated and potentially confusing field.
The BDC’s Inna Lekshtedt said: "We wanted to make sure that this and all future seminars deliver the maximum benefit to our colleagues across the University which means examining and exploring not only IP processes within LJMU but also procedures and legalities colleagues might encounter outside of the University. Every attorney that comes along to future seminars will be an expert in their field and have legal training which means that they are familiar with the trials and tribulations that can be experienced in relation to IPR protection and that academics, PhD students and researchers might typically face."
The seminar in the School of Computing and Mathematics was well attended and prompted lively and productive discussion. One of the attendees said: "It was very interesting and informative. I have certainly learned something new."
Another said: “The presentation and question-answer sessions were very helpful and provided a real insight, not just into how IT-related patenting works, but also how to approach it within the University. My overriding impression was that the area is highly complex, but that by following a few simple rules and getting the advice of the BDC early on, any difficulties can be avoided. So, in short, it was both interesting and useful, and I'm hoping it will help in how I approach IPR issues in the future.”
Throughout 2010, the BDC intends to hold further IPR seminars in research intensive areas of the University where research is likely to yield commercial opportunities.
If you think that your School/Department would benefit from one of these seminars, please contact Inna Lekshtedt, Executive Assistant at the BDC at: i.lekshtedt@ljmu.ac.uk or call extension: 8604.
