A big thank-you!

Following the success of yesterday's seminar on "Brands and the Cost of Corporate Conscience", the IP Finance weblog team -- several of whose members were in attendance -- would like to offer their thanks to Marjolijn Vencken (Trouble in Paradise Sustained Solutions) for her outstanding and, as ever, controversial presentation.

Right: Marjolijn Vencken has a chuckle while Amanda Michaels, in the chair, keeps a straight face (photo: Filemot)

Starting with the question of how much money (if any) brewers should pay towards preventing or remedying the damage done through binge-drinking by a non-target audience of minors, she then examined means by which brand-owners invest in showing their green credentials in order to excuse, hide or even reduce the environmental damage done by their products. Instructive case studies involving Land Rover, Heineken, Philips and Liberty Mutual were analysed and the role played by corporate social responsibility (CSR) was examined. Both during and after Marjolijn's presentation there was some lively questioning and discussion, befitting the blend of divergent interests of the rapt audience. It was a lovely way to celebrate World Intellectual Property Day.

The IP Finance weblog would like to thank both Marjolijn and her chairman Amanda Michaels for their input. Thanks are also due to London-based IP specialists Olswang LLP for providing its excellent hospitality, in conjunction with sponsors Hogarth Chambers.

Footnote: a fresh fourth edition of A Practical Approach to Trade Mark Law, written by Amanda with her colleague Andrew Norris, was launched earlier this month by leading publishers Oxford University Press. You can get details of its contents and even order it from its home page here.

“Brands and the Cost of Corporate Conscience”: a special event

“Brands and the Cost of Corporate Conscience” is the title of a special IP Finance seminar to celebrate World Intellectual Property Day, Monday 26 April. The speaker is the dynamic and thought-provoking Marjolijn Vencken (Trouble in Paradise, The Hague, The Netherlands), whom some of you may have heard speak at the MARQUES Conference last autumn in Brighton. The venue is the London office of Olswang LLP, 90 High Holborn. Doors open at 12.30pm and Marjolijn speaks at 1pm. Chairing the event is barrister, author and Appointed Person Amanda Michaels (Hogarth Chambers), whose new book -- A Practical Approach to Trade Mark Law, co-authored with Andrew Norris -- is coincidentally published by Oxford University Press this week.

We have the use of the venue till 2.30pm, so there's plenty of time to stay and discuss the talk afterwards. Refreshments are provided. If you'd like to attend, admission is FREE but can you please email Emma Killick here to let her know you're coming, making sure your email has the subject title "Brand Conscience". The room holds 100 but, in the event that we're oversubscribed, we'll have a ballot!

For those of you who don't yet know Marjolijn, here's a brief biography. Having obtained a law degree from Radboud University Nijmegen, she trained at the Institute for Policy Analysis (IFPA) in Washington D.C. where she monitored European government policy and analyzed its impact on companies operating in the United States. She was responsible for the brand strategies of different multinationals such as Heineken, Sarah Lee, Mars, KPN, Toyota and Delta Lloyd Group. At Trouble in Paradise she develops sustainable strategies within the brand by letting companies combine their organisational goals, their consumers’ lifestyle and communication in order to achieve economical performance with large societal profit. What are the issues and strategies used by experts in terms of filing trade marks and improving brand image? How do you revitalize a well-known brand without damaging its reputation? How do you create and maintain a sustainable brand? Marjolijn advises companies in their journey towards doing more responsible business.

The IP Finance weblog wishes to thank Olswang LLP and Hogarth Chambers for their part in making this lovely event possible.