#2190

Well, he did say he’d vote remain over a Labour Brexit, but :man_shrugging:

#2193

Jolyon killed that fox so he wouldn’t have to deal with his failure to stop Brexit

1 Like
#2194

It’s a classic dead fox strategy

8 Likes
#2195

The thing that’s going to maybe impact my profession quite severely is almost hilariously inevitable because there’s no way that anyone on our side of the negotiating table will understand the consequences.

(warning: extremely dry patent stuff ahead)

Patent law varies by jurisdiction but it’s almost not an exaggeration to say that you can split it into US-style and the rest of the world. One “feature” of US patent law that they bloody love and nobody else does is a 12 month “grace period” for filing a patent after you’ve disclosed the invention. Everywhere else operates on a strict “first to file” basis where you need to file your patent before you disclose it or you cannot patent it.

I know the US position sounds reasonable but you’ll have to trust me that it results in an absolute fucking nightmare for legal certainty for third parties and the only reason they want it is because their university lobby pushes hard for it because academics are reckless idiots and keep torpedoing their own patent filings by disclosing stuff at conferences before they’ve filed their patent.

Anyway.

It’s now the US default trade negotiating position that intellectual property provisions are front and centre in their strategy. We saw this with China. That includes: if you want this deal, your country has to change your patent law to include a 12 month grace period.

I think our lot will roll over on this. Why is it a problem? Because it’s fundamentally incompatible with the European Patent Convention. The UK is currently one of 38 members of this - it isn’t an EU institution. It’s widely recognised as arguably the best patent system in the world. UK patent attorneys are massive participants in it and the profession in this country is extremely well regarded as being good at operating in this system and is used extensively by e.g. US, Japanese and Chinese tech firms who want to use this brilliant Europe-wide system.

If we accept the US negotiating position on this, the UK will be kicked out of it, and people like me will (as it stands) lose their right to be a professional representative in this system and the profession will more or less collapse.

Nobody read this.

18 Likes
Politics: The Long Smarch (2020)
Brexit - the aftermath
#2196

If you think this is unduly cynical: the last three IP ministers have been Jo Johnson, Sam Gyimah, and Chris Skidmore.

1 Like
#2197

It’s amazing you’ve remained as upbeat as you have.

#2198

Most of my colleagues are massive Tories and I can get a Dutch passport and still be a European patent attorney, so the schadenfreude is keeping me going.

2 Likes
#2199

Yeah, and by 2019 he’d changed his mind - decided that for all it’s faults the EU was better than the best Brexit he felt that Labour could achieve.

All I’m really saying is that it’s a thin line, but in my mind those who are racist are awful, but those who chose to enable rather than marginalise the racists are if anything more responsible for the mess we’re in and quote frankly the rise of modern fascism.

Not suggesting that everyone on here should share my opinion though - saving that for the Emblem World Cup today.

#2200

Hah! Well that does explain it. Glad you have an out but it’s desperately unfair that you have to rely on this sort of thing, because inevitably there will be people who can’t.

1 Like
#2201

But then if we trust Corbyn he was a lexiter yet still voted remain because he understood what it meant to vote leave in that context

#2204

Yeah, I get it :+1:

As I say, narrow margins in my mind, so totally respect what you’re saying here.

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#2206

Woah!

:kissing_heart:

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#2207

And I guess as a footnote, if you’re thinking “oh boo hoo, a bunch of overpaid pretend lawyers will have to get off DiS and make an honest living doing something else instead, cry me a fucking river”, well, first of all, fuck you, but second of all, there will be wider economic impacts if the UK is no longer covered by European patents that will make it an even less attractive place for manufacturing industries, high tech industries, and certain consumer goods industries to operate. Not great for employment prospects generally.

1 Like
#2209

Was 95% kidding.

95%

1 Like
#2210

@potw nomination

1 Like
#2211

Think that nude academic protestor might still have something up her sleeve to stop all this

2 Likes
#2212

excuse me

14 Likes
#2213

She posted a message today marking the occasion which…fair play to her it’s pretty chilly outside.

1 Like
#2215

^^^ Clearly posted in the buff

1 Like
#2217

There could be a round of DiS Naked Attraction at the next meat (hahahaha)

  • I’m getting my genitals out for the lads
  • I will spectate but my pudenda will remain firmly tethered
  • I don’t want to be anywhere near this sick filth

0 voters