CITMA 2017: Brexit a ‘big opportunity’ for UK, Norwegian lawyer claims
IP lawyers from Norway and the US have outlined their views about Brexit from their jurisdictions’ perspective, with one saying the UK should be confident.
Hilde Vold-Burgess, managing partner at Acapo in Norway, said the UK should see Brexit as a “big opportunity”.
Speaking at the Chartered Institute of Trade Mark Attorneys (CITMA) spring conference yesterday, March 16, Vold-Burgess spoke about Brexit from a Norwegian perspective.
She said she was “very surprised” that the UK voted to leave the EU last year.
Burgess told delegates that Norway voted not be part of the EU in 1972 and 1994.
In 1960, Norway and Switzerland became the founding member states of the European Free Trade Association.
She asked delegates what the UK will do when it leaves the EU and whether there will be a hard or soft Brexit, or something in between.
For the UK, trademarks are a relatively small challenge with regard to Brexit and she said she is “not worried” about trademarks and IP challenges.
The UK will certainly have to ask itself a lot of questions pre- and post- Brexit, but the UK should see Brexit as a “big opportunity”.
‘We’ve got our own problems’
Next to speak was Jess Collen, co-founder of US law firm Collen IP, who told delegates that the US has got its “own problems” in terms of dealing with Brexit and the current political climate in his country.
Speaking about President Donald Trump and his administration, Collen said: “It’s a new adventure every day for us.”
Collen also referenced a February decision from China which allowed Trump to register trademark rights to his name in the country. Trump obtained rights for construction services.
Collen said these rights had been allowed in “record time”.
His conclusion was that US IP lawyers “don’t know” what effect Brexit could have in the US, due to the current political climate.
The CITMA spring conference ends today.
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