Career Series: Dinusha Mendis, Bournemouth University

Tell us about the course of your career.

After training to be a barrister at The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple in London, and working in practice, I returned to academia and completed my PhD in copyright law at the University of Edinburgh in 2007. During this time, I fell in love with copyright, and have never looked back.

Following my PhD, I worked as a lecturer in law at the University of Central Lancashire (2007–2010) and then moved to Bournemouth University as a senior lecturer in law in 2011. I was appointed co-director of the Centre for Intellectual Property Policy and Management (CIPPM) in 2011 and my involvement with CIPPM helped me to progress my research in copyright law.

During 2011–2013, I was part of a team that was very involved in commissioned projects for the UK Intellectual Property Office (UKIPO) when the UK reformed its copyright laws.

In 2012, I came across 3D printing, was fascinated by it, and wrote an article exploring the implications for IP law as a result of this new technology. Since then, I have published extensively in this area and I have carried out funded projects for UKIPO, the European Commission, and the Arts and Humanities Research Council.

“The area of copyright law is constantly evolving and—as my interest is in the emerging technologies and its implications for IP law—there is always something new to explore.”

I continue to be fascinated by the implications for IP law posed by new technologies, such as blockchain, artificial intelligence and non-fungible tokens (NFTs).

Since 2011, I have been working at Bournemouth University. In 2013, I was appointed associate professor in law and in 2016, was appointed professor of IP and innovation law.

Since March 2020, I have been acting deputy dean (research) and in this role, I have the privilege of working with some excellent colleagues in relation to a broad range of research.

Outline a typical day in your role.

My typical day tends to be very busy, as I juggle my commitments as deputy dean (research), professor, and director of CIPPM. The day moves between a variety of meetings, teaching (on some days), addressing various research activities and strategies, and quite often having to come up with creative solutions to challenging issues.

What are the best parts about your job?

The best part of my job is the variety it presents. No single day is ever the same and in each of the roles I fulfil, I am confronted with new opportunities and challenges each day. The area of copyright law is constantly evolving and—as my interest is in the emerging technologies and its implications for IP law—there is always something new to explore.

At the moment, I am interested in the implications for IP law as a result of NFTs, and this has resulted in a few publications—one of which was published in  WIPR  in November 2021.

In my role as deputy dean (research), I get the opportunity to design the research strategy for the faculty and work with colleagues with diverse research interests. This is both fascinating and a privilege.

What is the most difficult part?

Finding the time to do the various research projects which are constantly evolving can be a challenge.

What is your biggest achievement?

It is hard to identify a single achievement as I consider every milestone I’ve been fortunate to attain, or complete, as an important achievement in my career. If I had to pick one, I would say it involves the changes I implemented in the Faculty in my role as deputy dean, to pave the way for a vibrant research culture with equality and diversity at its core.

What advice would you give to those looking to pursue a similar career path?

Be passionate about IP law—or an aspect of IP law you wish to pursue and connect that passion to an area of creativity or innovation that is of interest to you. You will never tire of your job.

Who or what inspires you?

I have been fortunate to have been mentored by, and have worked with, some excellent academics. My PhD supervisor, Hector MacQueen, a professor at Edinburgh University, helped me to build a foundation in academia, motivated me to work hard and identify a research trajectory of interest to me. His work ethic, leadership skills and desire to help others really inspires me. To this day, he remains my mentor.

My late parents also inspired me. Their work ethic of striving to be the best you can, through perseverance, dedication and commitment, while taking a positive approach to life, are qualities I value and continue to be inspired by.

These wonderful people opened doors and created opportunities for me; without them, I would not be where I am today.

Women in law

What are the major issues facing women in law?

Many senior positions are held by men, and women are much under-represented at senior level. This is a major issue. It is at these senior levels that change happens, organisations are shaped and where voices are heard.

We need to build a society that reflects equality between men and women, without discrimination, while also recognising diversity. While there have been positive steps taken in the past few years, we still have a long way to go.

Is the legal profession doing enough to improve gender diversity?

Positive steps have been taken in the past few years and there has much been more focus on attaining equality. In the field of academia, this has translated into a greater awareness in relation to promotion, leadership positions, etc. However, we are still a long way from where we should be—and more work needs to be done.

How are you involved in promoting diversity?

In my role as deputy dean, one of the first actions I took was to create a diversity, equality and inclusion (DE&I) group within the research community. The past 18 months have been challenging for many people and particularly for anyone involved in home-schooling, childcare, etc. The group takes a bottom-up approach in listening to colleagues and implementing change, where possible.

As part of promoting DE&I, I participated in a  to raise awareness in relation to race and language.

As someone from an ethnic minority background—I was born and brought up in Sri Lanka—I am keenly aware of the need to promote and raise awareness in relation to DE&I and I do whatever I can to achieve this.