World Intellectual Property Day - NODUS

Freeth Cartwright, a firm of solicitors based in Nottingham (East Midlands, England), is getting quite excited about World Intellectual Property Day. A notice on its IMPACT IP weblog states, in relevant part:

"If you are an IP or IT law professional based in the East Midlands make sure you are free on the afternoon of 26 April 2007. If you think that date rings a bell, it should - it's World Intellectual Property Day. We're using that day to launch NODUS, a forum for East Midlands IP and IT professionals.

NODUS means "bond" and that's exactly what we want people to do at NODUS events. The idea behind the branding is that NODUS can run independently of any one law firm. NODUS is intended to bring IP and IT professionals in our region together and by doing so give us a louder voice about the issues that concern us. We will be arranging for fellow professionals to speak on a variety of IP and IT law subjects, possibly arrange sector specific training sessions where there is demand and publishing articles on a NODUS blog. The driving force of these events is, however, to raise the profile of East Midlands IP and IT professionals.

Whilst the IP & Technology team at Freeth Cartwright is setting up NODUS, make no mistake this is a collaborative forum. We need you to make it work and our aim is to see East Midlands IP and IT professionals from other firms involved in the running of the forum. It's in all our interests to promote our particular areas of expertise to a wider audience and together we present a much stronger offering.

We have in mind 4 NODUS events per year, but who knows, if this takes off we could arrange training sessions and focus groups on topics relevant to our area of law. We have lots of exciting ideas about the progression of NODUS, but now the donkey work has been done, we want to hear what you think.

At the inaugural event, Andrew Mills of Freeth Cartwright will be giving a brief talk about our ideas for NODUS and we are also going to have Andrew Mainz of Forensic Accounting LLP giving an interesting, enlightening and amusing talk about damages from a forensic accountant's perspective.

Most important of all, there's going to be time to talk to each other, have a drink and nibble on a twiglet or two.

We will be posting details of how to book your place in the next week, we hope you will join us and help us to take this project forward".

If you'd like to attend, contact the organisers here. The IPKat calls upon all IP enthusiasts in the region to turn up in force. Whether your interest is in patents, copyright, trade marks or merely twiglets, your support can help change the IP profile of the East Midlands forever. Merpel says, don't forget to check for existing Community and UK trade mark registrations and applications for NODUS ...

Famous local intellectual property here, here, here and here