Wednesday whimsies

Around the weblogs.  Aaron Wood, in a guest post on SOLO IP, asks some uncomfortable questions on attorney-client privilege that may be disturbing for clients instructing unqualified or underqualified folk to do their IP work for them.  Writing on IP Finance, fellow Kat Neil writes on Aerosmith's Joey Kramer and his recipe for a solidly-based Rockin' and Roastin' coffee brand with its strong set of messages and a powerful punch.  PatLit carries a post from this blogger of a slightly unusual scenario in which a defendant in patent infringement proceedings applies to be served with more pleadings.  Finally we look at the copyright-oriented 1709 Blog, where Ben Challis reveals the latest litigation on Canadian copyright trolls and Sebastian Felix Schwemer takes a look at the EU's Collective Rights Management Directive.

Journals.  The South African Intellectual Property Law Journal (SAIPLJ) is calling for submissions for its next issue. If you have something suitable up your sleeve, the date for submission is provisionally fixed at 30 April 2014.  If you'd just like to speak to someone about appropriate topics, or want to find out more about this peer-reviewed journal, which is still in its relative infancy, email Lee-Ann Tong at lee-ann.tong@uct.ac.za or Afro-IP blogger Caroline Ncube at caroline.ncube@uct.ac.za.  Meanwhile another publication that is still in its infancy, The Trademark Lawyer, has just produced its most recent issue. For further information, click here.

IP opportunities for students.  As many readers are already aware, the International Trademark Association (INTA) is holding its 136th Annual Meeting in Hong Kong from 10 to 14 May.  This exciting trademarkfest includes a Career Development Day on 12 May: this is a day packed with programming and networking opportunities, specifically for law students. Good news from INTA's Carin is that

To help law students make their way to the Annual Meeting, we have a scholarship program that provides a complimentary registration to the meeting and up to $500 travel reimbursement [is that US dollars or Hong Kong dollars, wonders Merpel]. Interested students should complete the attached application form and submit an essay for consideration. We would greatly appreciate it if you could share this information with your student members.

Please feel free to contact Carin at cdixon@inta.org with any questions.