Joint press release from the IPI and QMIPRI, Queen Mary University of London, Monday 29 March 2010

Published: 1 April 2010
By: Sarah Batty, QM-UL

Queen Mary University of London and the Intellectual Property Institute (IPI) have entered into an important and historic collaboration agreement, creating a significant locus for intellectual property research in the UK. Leading figure in intellectual property law in the UK, Sir Robin Jacob, Lord Justice of Appeal, welcomes this new strength in IP research: “This coming together of one of the foremost IP law faculties with the practical bent of the IPI is a giant step forward. The combination will be significantly greater that its constituent parts - a true synergy no less.”

The landmark agreement was signed today by the Principal of Queen Mary University of London, Professor Simon Gaskell, and the Chairman of the Intellectual Property Institute, Mr Ian Harvey. Professor Gaskell welcomes this collaboration as part of Queen Mary’s commitment to producing and disseminating influential and relevant research: “Queen Mary is fully committed to ensuring the notion that its work is relevant to as broad a constituency as possible. We’ve had for many years a very active programme of disseminating our knowledge to industry, of working closely with industrial partners, and this is another manifestation of that commitment of working with the broader community.” Mr Harvey says “This landmark collaboration agreement with Queen Mary creates a major new critical mass of expertise in evidence-based IP research within Europe. This will draw on Queen Mary's excellence in academic IP research and link directly into the IPI's broad IP expertise based on its membership of all those who are involved in IP: business people, academics, lawyers, judges, IP practitioners, economists and scientists.”

Queen Mary is an international leader in intellectual property research, in particular through the work of the Queen Mary Intellectual Property Research Institute (QMIPRI) of the Centre for Commercial Law Studies (CCLS), based in Lincoln’s Inn Fields. This closer collaboration between QMIPRI and IPI builds a comprehensive and invaluable resource for IP, welcomed by the Director of CCLS, Professor Spyros Maniatis, as “putting London and the UK at the forefront of intellectual property research globally”. IPI will relocate to Lincoln’s Inn Fields alongside QMIPRI, creating a genuine community for IP research in the heart of legal London. With QMIPRI and IPI both having been established in the 1980s, the collaboration brings together two of the most influential and historic bodies in intellectual property research in the UK today.

Professor Johanna Gibson, Herchel Smith Professor of Intellectual Property Law and Director of QMIPRI will be Director of the IPI under the collaboration. Professor Gibson, herself a distinguished IP scholar, is the first woman to hold the Herchel Smith Chair and will now become the first woman Director of the IPI. Professor Gibson says, “I am delighted to be a part of this significant development for IP research. IP is a critical part of the UK economy as well as the social welfare of UK citizens, and this collaboration extends our ability to produce timely and relevant research and expertise both domestically and internationally. I am very proud to be honoured with the Directorship of the IPI and to be part of such a responsive and innovative institution as QM, one that recognises the importance of this kind of research and communication across sectors and to diverse audiences.”

Further Information

Mr Ian Harvey, Chairman IPI 
Professor Johanna Gibson: Director IPI –
Ms Sarah Batty, Administrator and press enquiries – Tel: +44 (0) 20 7882 8102 Fax: +44 (0) 20 7882 8101