We will be holding meetings with George Freeman MP, the Minister responsible for IP policy and Chi Onwurah MP, the Shadow Minister for IP. This will be followed by a reception in the House of Commons, hosted by Rt John Whittingdale OBE MP, Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Intellectual Property and  Pete Wishart MP, Vice-Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Intellectual Property. The reception will be attended by Parliamentarians from across the political spectrum and will hear from creators and business leaders as to why valuing and protecting IP is so vital for UK economic growth.

 

Chi Onwurah will hear from the award-winning author behind Vera and Shetland, Ann Cleeves OBE; a great example of how IP-rich creativity can have such an amazing impact on people’s lives. Vera has been sold in over 200 territories and each four-episode series employs 1200 people, many of whom are from the North East.  Since Shetland was first shown, tourism in the islands has increased by 43% which has become progressively more important to the Island’s economy as oil-based income reduced.

 

The Parliamentary reception, which is being kindly sponsored by the Premier League and Motion Picture Association will also host the annual awarding of the IP Champion award. 

 

Commenting on this year’s British IP Day, Dan Guthrie, Director General of the Alliance for Intellectual Property said:

 

“In every town and city across the UK there are IP-rich businesses and creators contributing to their local economy.  These individuals and businesses are creating designs, brands and content that the British public love.  Today is an opportunity to showcase their importance to the political community and why nurturing them and protecting their IP is vital to economic growth and our cultural life.”

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About the Alliance

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The Alliance for Intellectual Property is a unique association of organisations representing UK Intellectual Property (IP) -rich businesses and creators – sectors which despite the COVID pandemic, continue to demonstrate significant growth potential, and which in recent times have outperformed the wider economy. Our members include representatives of the audio-visual, music, toy and games, sports rights, branded manufactured goods, publishing, retailing, image, art, and design sectors. They share a collective interest in ensuring that IP rights are valued in the UK and around the world, and that a legislative regime exists that enables the value and contribution of those rights to be fully realised. They have the potential to lead the UK’s economic recovery post-COVID, through their innovation, risk-taking, and commercial acumen.

 

British IP Day

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Now in its seventh year, British IP Day offers the opportunity for those who rely on IP for their living to engage with policymakers to raise the profile of IP and some of the issues that currently exist in its promotion and protection.

Creators and businesses featured at @AllianceIP

 

• The Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys (CIPA) are profiling a number of companies where IP is important to their innovation and growth.

 

• The Chartered Institute of Trade Mark Attorneys (CITMA) are profiling a number of companies such as Leeds-based drinks brand Boost, and echoing how important it is for businesses to understand their intellectual property rights and use trade marks for brand protection and success. 

 

• The Intellectual Property Office (IPO) are showcasing some case real examples of IP-rich businesses; VisitMôr, Multus and Pet Weighter. They all rely on a strong copyright framework to continue their creative innovation.

 

• Media services company Zoo Digital, based in Sheffield and employing 195 FT people (June 2022), continues to develop & deploy its end-to-end localisation technology to support the Audio-Visual sector around the world.

 

• The Premier League (PL) will be showing us a behind-the scenes-look at Premier League Productions who distribute live games, commentary and accompanying shows across every region of the world. Reception attendees also have the opportunity to see the Premier League trophy in person.

 

• The Motion Picture Association (MPA) will be displaying a show reel reflecting the great array of Audio-Visual content they create and provide the UK economy.

 

• The British Film Commission is showcasing examples of great film and television that have been produced and filmed all around the UK