The Honourable Mr Justice Birss, judge of the High Court of England and Wales, will present the 2015 Francis Gurry Lecture on Intellectual Property, in Sydney on 31 August and in Melbourne on 2 September.

Justice Birss will speak on the topic “To boldly reform IP dispute resolution - Experience in the Intellectual Property Enterprise Court”.

Between 2010 and 2013 a series of reforms took place in the Patents County Court in London which led to the foundation of the Intellectual Property Enterprise Court.  The reforms were a radical attempt to improve access to justice in intellectual property cases.  A particular focus was on disputes involving smaller and medium sized enterprises.  Colin Birss was appointed as a judge in 2010 to take charge of the court and implement the reforms.  Today the Intellectual Property Enterprise Court is a success.  In his lecture the judge will share his experiences of the court, addressing the nature of the reforms, how they worked in practice and what lessons can be learned.

Attendance is free, but requires registration.

Sydney: Monday, 31 August 2015, 6:15pm, Wesley Conference Centre, 221 Pitt St – register here

Melbourne: Wednesday, 2 September 2015, 6:15pm, Melbourne Law School, 185 Pelham St – register here