I attend a meeting of the Constitutional Committee, at which
we are to begin working on the new Bye-Laws.
It is a long meeting.
The first issue, which takes about two hours, is deciding
who should be allowed to join CIPA. Only
then can we divide up our members into those who matter a lot, those who matter
less and those who we’d no idea existed.
We know that patent attorneys should be IN and window cleaners should be
OUT (unless they are dual-qualified, of course). But it is the whole load of other folk in
between that we are not sure about.
The Charter implies that CIPA can take on anyone who is an IP
practitioner. But what if not all IP
practitioners are decent and dependable?
What if some of them split infinitives, or don’t know what nem con means? Worst of all: what if Mr Davies wants to become a member?? Even if we let these reprobates into CIPA,
say some of the Committee members, surely we are not going to let them vote or
stand for Council? How would they know
what’s good for patent attorneys?
Well I’m not sure I do either. But I’ve no doubt I’ll be told if I ask. So I keep my mouth shut, because I actually
want to get home before midnight.
Hello Andrea
ReplyDeleteVery important you speak at the next meeting, to give the picture you have gained from your tour of members and what it tells you. This is a once in a generation opportunity to shape the future of CIPA and for the Members to say what they want and who else should be invited to join, so you should be listened to. As you know I don't quite get what you are often driving at but I thought it important to comment this time and I hope other people will too, either here, on twitter or LinkedIn or direct to the Institute.