'Retromark: the conference' is back on 3 April 2025 – sign up now!

RetroKats

The sixth annual Retromark conference returns for another afternoon of in-person trade mark law and practice hosted by Darren Meale of Simmons & Simmons and the IPKat on Thursday, 3 April 2025. This year, the keynote speech will be delivered by Professor Johanna Gibson, Herchel Smith Professor of Intellectual Property Law, Queen Mary University of London.

Starting at 2pm and finishing with drinks and canapes from 6:15pm at Simmons’ offices in Citypoint, Moorgate, the full line up is below:

14:00-14:30 – Registration

14:30-14:40 – Introduction and welcome (Darren Meale)

14:40-15:40 – Panel 1 – “It looks like lookalikes are no longer liked: has the Court of Appeal moved the dial in favour of brand owners?” (We will explore the decision in Thatchers v Aldi along with a number of other recent Court of Appeal decisions which have overturned first instance judgments to the benefit of trade mark owners and ask whether we’ve entered a new regime of stronger and broader protection)

Panellists:

• Jonathan Moss, Barrister, Hogarth Chambers
• Joel Smith, Partner, Simmons & Simmons
• Mel Jones, Assistant General Counsel, GSK
• Victoria Jones, Barrister, 3 Paper Buildings

15:40-16:00 – Choose your own trade mark adventure - an interview with the audience (Darren Meale)

16:00-16:30 – Coffee/tea break

16:30-17:15 – Keynote address: Professor Johanna Gibson, Herchel Smith Professor of Intellectual Property Law, Queen Mary University of London

17:15-18:15 – Panel 2 – “A tale of a supreme saga: where does the Supreme Court judgment in Skykick leave us?” (Now that one of the most significant trade mark cases in modern times has drawn to a close with the Supreme Court’s final judgment, we will examine its conclusions and ponder what’s to become of the problems the saga highlighted in our registration system)

Panellists:

• Andrew Norris KC, Hogarth Chambers
• Grant Robery, Senior Trade Mark Counsel, Natura & Co
• Philipp von Kapff, Member of the Boards of Appeal, EUIPO

18:15-19:30 – Drinks and canapes

Tickets are strictly limited and available on a first come, first served basis. The event usually sells out, so don’t delay. Tickets are free, but there is again an option to make a donation to charity by purchasing a special ticket – the event will be supporting Bowel Cancer UK once more (please give generously!).

You can sign up via Eventbrite here.

Sign up while you can!