At an “Inside Track Briefing Lunch” organised by managing partner Andrew Clay of ACID’s Accredited law firm Hammonds, Andrew Gowers was the guest speaker.

Attended by a small group of diverse stakeholders Andrew Gowers confirmed that both he and Government were surprised at the volume of responses from over 600 organisations to the call by the review body for submissions on intellectual property in the UK

Photographed with Andrew Gowers is Dids Macdonald, Chief Executive of ACID (she had won the right to name one of three ducks signed by Andrew Gowers) who seized the opportunity to remind him of her claim to the name “MACDONALD DUCK” confirming the Duck’s intention that “ACID will keep design right afloat”. During the lunch Dids Macdonald explained to the group that for many thousands of SME’s it was still virtually impossible to a) take action against copying and b) seek help with enforcement. She suggested that design right should be added to the recommendation and implementation of Section 107A that copyright and trademarks infringement can be enforced by Trading Standards, one of Gowers’ key recommendations. Andrew Gowers confirmed that the route forward to progress this request may lie with the soon to be created Strategic Advisory Body for Intellectual Property (SABIP).

Dids Macdonald is determined to secure a seat at SABIP’s table on behalf of UK designers relying on design right to pursue this and other lobbying objectives.