about IPAN

• The Network was formed in 1993 aiming to bring together the separate IP awareness activities and concerns of a wide range of professional, educational and business organisations. There are currently about forty member organisations (see list here) and the UK Intellectual Property Office has observer status.  Representatives include officers from the member organisations as well as IP specialists.
   

• IPAN operates on a largely informal basis with limited structure apart from a Chairman - Paul Leonard (Director of the Intellectual Property Institute), Secretary - Mick Ralph (Secretary of the Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys) and a Webmaster - Steve Smith (Board member of the Intellectual Property Institute).
   

• Members pay an annual fee (currently £25) to cover operating expenses.  The Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys (CIPA) and the Intellectual Property Institute (IPI) provide active assistance including some help with administration.  The Network meets as a group 3-4 times a year dividing its discussions under the main themes of general IP education, IP for parliamentarians and IP awareness in finance and business. 
   

• IPAN's activities include:

  • exchanging information and discussing views between members on topical IP issues with the aim of improving overall understanding

  • producing basic “one-page” briefs on current IP issues (in the past these have been used to brief parliamentarians)

  • reviewing external IP awareness materials

  • taking part in specific IP awareness events such as informal IP briefing sessions with groups of parliamentarians and also with business analysts.
     

• IPAN is not a lobbying organisation for any particular view on an IP issue but seeks to provide balanced, evidence based statements to improve general understanding of important IP issues.  These statements are not binding on individual members of the Network.

what IPAN provides

• a unique source of IP intelligence drawn from the wider IP community including government, professional organisations, industry and academia on a national basis - no other UK group exists which brings together such a wide range of different bodies all of which have an interest in IP and its relevance to society
   

• a forum to discuss IP issues critical to industry and commerce and to assist in wider understanding
   

• an opportunity for members to gain early warning of IP related issues arising in different business sectors and which might need action elsewhere

how to contact us and join

• if your organisation has an interest in raising awareness of intellectual property and its impact, then membership of the Network is for you.  Please contact us to enquire about joining IPAN .