IP Pro Bono on the lookout for practitioners and firms during COVID-19

IP Pro Bono is continuing to provide assistance to applicants during the coronavirus crisis, and we are grateful to our Case Officers and Member Firms for their support.

We are always looking for more practitioners and firms to get involved, and if you would be interested to know more about how you can contribute, and help people with IP issues who cannot afford to pay for advice and representation in the usual way, please get in touch.

IP Pro Bono is a joint initiative of CIPA, CITMA, The Law Society, the IPLA and the IP Bar, and has the support of the UK IPO and IPEC. We are in need of more Member Firms to take on cases and assist applicants who may be struggling to deal with their situation, especially in these difficult times. If you believe that your firm would be able to assist in this way, we would be very pleased to hear from you.

You can also help as an individual practitioner by acting as a Case Officer, reviewing cases for eligibility and passing the details through for action by Member Firms. A practitioner on furlough in the current crisis may be able to volunteer as a Case Officer; you should speak to your employer or your HR department if this applies to you.

The types of matters we deal with cover the full range of IP, including trade mark oppositions, copyright disputes and patent and design cases. They often raise interesting points of law and practice, and provide an opportunity to have contact with real people with real problems, and the satisfaction of helping them find a solution.

For further details email [email protected].

Date Published: 20 April 2020