IPKat has reported a couple of times (
here and
here) on the
IP Inclusive initiative, working for diversity and inclusivity within the intellectual property industries. IP Inclusive is spearheaded by several Intellectual Property organisations (including the Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys, the Institute of Trade Mark Attorneys, the IP Federation, the Intellectual Property Office, and FICPI-UK) to increase diversity and equality within the IP profession. Bloggers and blog-lovers among us will be happy to know that IP Inclusive has a
blog , and Merpel reports that there will appear there soon an entertaining report of the Diversity in IP breakfast meeting that took place in conjunction with AIPLA last Monday, which this Kat attended.
The IPKat is now happy to publicise the IP Out group within IP Inclusive:
Within the ‘Support’ work stream of IP Inclusive is IP Out - a new networking group for LGBT people and “straight allies” working in the Intellectual Property profession.
IP Out aims to provide networking and socialising opportunities for LGBT people and their straight allies. You do not have to be a patent or trade mark attorney to join – anyone working in or around IP is welcome.
IP Out hopes to host around four events each year. The events, which are open for all to attend, will be a mixture of talks and panel discussions as well as more informal social events.
Please sign up to our mailing list by visiting our website, http://www.ipinclusive.org.uk/ip-out.html, to be kept informed of group news and our inaugural event, coming soon. Feel free to contact the IP Out committee at IPOutNetwork@gmail.com if you have any questions.
As a gay man and patent attorney himself, this Kat is delighted with this news, and hopes that as many people as possible will sign up so that the programme of events can be well supported.
In the meantime, this Kat will also be joining the Legal Pride group at Pride in London 2016 on Saturday 25 June. Spearheaded by the Law Society, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) diversity in the legal profession is being celebrated under the banner 'All are equal under the law' and law firms are getting involved in the Pride in London Parade.
Happily, participation is not limited to solicitors, and anyone from the legal industry, and partners, children and friends are welcome. You can find out how to get involved
here. The same link has details of another aspect of Legal Pride - the legal profession is being asked to tweet a selfie between 6 June and 25 June using the hashtag
#lawwithnofilter. This reflects the
theme of this year's Pride in London
#nofilter - referring to the need LGBT+ people often feel to filter their behaviour, to self-censor or to hide who they are. I blog about non-IP topics on the IP Alchemist blog, and I have recently written some reflections on being a gay man
here, which may explain why I think this is important.
I hope to see some IP Kat readers at Pride or IP Out.
