MPs, Peers, civil servants and Alliance members gathered in Parliament on Wednesday evening, to shake off the January blues and celebrate the contribution that IP-rich industries make to the UK economy, to culture and to society as a whole.

 

The Rt Hon Matt Hancock MP, new Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, took to the podium to deliver the keynote address (see his full speech here). He was also able to announce the confirmation of the new Minister with responsibility for Intellectual Property as Sam Gyimah MP, also in attendance in his new role as Minister for Universities, Science, Research & Innovation.

 

Mr Hancock also commended the "vital work" of the Alliance in promoting IP - through the Search Roundtable and Voluntary Code of Practice, the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU), the in-development Digital Charter and through our newly launched trade report, which highlights the vital source of global export revenue and cultural standing that is the UK's creative, design and branded sectors:

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"Britain has historically been world-leading in helping artists get the value they deserve from their books, plays, films or music.

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The Alliance for IP has played a big part in this. Thank you for all the work you’ve been doing on behalf of artists across the UK - and for producing this valuable report."

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The reception also heard from Gordon Wise, President of the Association of Authors' Agents, an Alliance member and the co-sponsor of the event along with the British Toy & Hobby Association. 

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As guests of the former we were delighted to welcome two star authors and prime examples of the global success story that is UK publishing and British IP. Misha Glenny is the author of the 2008 non-fiction work McMafia and more recently an Executive Producer of the hugely popular TV series which (thanks to IP and licensing deals) is being broadcast to over 200 countries worldwide.

 

Also welcomed was Deborah Moggach OBE (fresh from her New Year honour for services to literature), author of Tulip Fever, These Foolish Things (which went on to become The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel) and the screenplay for Pride & Prejudice. Thanks go to both guests for their invaluable support.

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The Alliance's new report, Trading Places: The UK’s IP Future, demonstrates the importance of IP-rich industries to UK exports and makes the case for Intellectual Property to be put front and centre of negotiations with our future trading partners across the globe. The reception served as its Parliamentary launch to the MPs and Peers of all hues in attendance, with Secretary of State Matt Hancock delivering a confident response from Government:

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"Brexit will provide the opportunity to strike trade deals independently with new markets.

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And I want to make it perfectly clear tonight; intellectual property will be at the heart of these discussions."

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Thanks must go to (as ever) to Pete Wishart MP, Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Intellectual Property, to sponsors and Alliance members the Association of Authors' Agents and the British Toy & Hobby Association, to Bill Bush, Chair of the Alliance and to all our members and guests who attended and consistently support us in the promotion and protection of Intellectual Property.