The UK IPO have an excellent overseas IP (intellectual property) Attaché network, so if you are thinking of doing business in South East Asia, China, Brazil and India? Help and advice is available through their IP liaison officers (attachés).
At a recent meeting held at the Alliance for Intellectual Property, UK businesses and trade organisations met the new IP attachés who are based in embassies around the world in the above countries and who are available to contact if you need help and advice.
Dids Macdonald, OBE, CEO of ACID said, “It was great to meet the IP attaché team in London, it was a really valuable meeting and reinforced the message that there is real, practical and specialist IP help out there just when you need it. ACID has worked with the IPO attaches since the scheme was launched and has nothing but praise that this service is easily accessible for all. Please look below for the latest contact details.”
These IP liaison officers work with local UK Department for International Trade (DIT) and Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) leads to provide support for UK businesses seeking advice on local IP matters.
They also:
Contact details Desmond Tan: South East Asia
Career history: Prior to joining the High Commission, Desmond was a Senior Assistant Director with the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS). In his five years at IPOS, Desmond was deeply involved in IP projects spanning diverse portfolios such as policy and planning, industry engagement and promotion, and capabilities development. In his other life, Desmond was a project engineer with the Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA) managing defence technology projects and transfers of aviation technologies. Desmond has a Degree in Mechanical Engineering (Aeronautical) from the Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.
Contact details: email: [email protected]; tel: +65 9088 4018; address: British High Commission Singapore, 100 Tanglin Road, Singapore 247919.
Cerian Foulkes: China
Career history: Prior to joining the Intellectual Property Office (IPO), Cerian was Senior Innovation Policy Officer for the UK government’s Science and Innovation Network in China. Previous to this, she worked in the China team of the UK’s Research Councils and in the auto industry. Cerian has lived and worked in China for over nine years and is fluent in Mandarin.
Focus in China: China’s IP framework is fast developing and the UK is a key international partner. Cerian and her team in Beijing and Shanghai, provide direct support to UK companies with concerns across the IP spectrum, particularly in supporting enforcement outcomes. The team also works closely with a number of Chinese government agencies on IP, to share UK expertise and best practice. This work is part of wider engagement by the UK IPO with China, including the annual UK-China IP Symposium and technical exchanges.
Contact details: email: [email protected]; address: British Embassy, 11 Guanghua Lu, Beijing 100200.
Angelica Garcia: Brazil
Career history: Lawyer with a LL.M in IP & International Trade from Queen Mary University, London. She was formerly Director of Marketing & Business Development for ACE Aceleratech start-up accelerator in Brazil and Latin America and worked on Deloitte’s German-Brazilian Desk. Most recently she worked for the Department for International Trade (formerly UKTI) of the British Government.
Focus in Brazil: Assisting UK companies that have IP issues in Brazil and working closely with Government to ensure that there is a strong IPframework. This includes outreach with both officials and business, highlighting the benefits of a strong IP system. Specific areas of interest include addressing backlogs in patents and trade marks, Geographical Indications (GIs), pharmaceuticals and IP enforcement.
Contact details: email: [email protected]; tel: +55 11 3094 2729; address: British Consulate General, Rua Ferreira de Araújo, 741, São Paulo, Brazil – 05428-002.
Shilpi Mehta Nanda: India
Career history: Shilpi joined the IP attaché network in October 2017 and is based in the British High Commission in New Delhi. She is a qualified IPlawyer with an LL.M in Intellectual Property from the University of New Hampshire.
Focus in India: Having practiced law in India since 2008 and worked with leading law firms, Shilpi has developed a solid grasp of both Indian IP issues. She will assist UK businesses with their IP and provide practical support and work with the Indian government on the local and international IP landscape, as well as building strategic partnerships between UK and India.
Contact details: email: [email protected]; tel: +91 11 2419 2166; address: British High Commission, Shantipath, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi
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