6 February 2014Copyright

IPO appoints new copyright enforcement director

The UK Intellectual Property Office (IPO) has appointed a new director of copyright and enforcement policy following the departure of its previous head.

Ros Lynch will take over from Edmund Quilty, who stepped down from his position last month following six years in the role.

Lynch is the former director of the copyright licensing coordination office, which was responsible for delivering recommendations outlined in the 2012 report Copyright works, which she co-wrote with Richard Hooper, the former deputy chairman of broadcasting regulator OFCOM.

The report, more commonly referred to as the Hooper Report, made several suggestions, including the creation of the ‘Copyright Hub’, which launched last year with Lynch as its chief executive.

“Dr Lynch will be arriving to an overflowing in-tray at the IPO – it is hard to remember a busier time for copyright reform, with several pieces of secondary legislation in progress and the prospect of wide-ranging EU reform in the next few years,” said Phil Sherrell, partner at Bird & Bird LLP in London.

“The IPO's gain is the Copyright Hub's loss though; the Hub is still an at early stage and will no doubt want to replace Dr Lynch quickly in order to maintain momentum"

Prior to leaving his post, Quilty served under and advised five different ministers in two governments, most recently working with the current IP minister Lord Younger.

In recent years the government has been considering its position on all forms of IP following the publication of another report, The Hargreaves Review of Intellectual Property and Growth, which looked at the UK’s entire IP system.

The IP Bill, a government bill designed to strengthen the UK’s IP system, is also currently making its way through parliament as a result of that report and is due to have a third reading in the House of Commons.

During the committee stage, where amendments are put forward, the creation of an 'IP czar', similar to that in the US, was suggested.

Iain Wright, a member of the opposition Labour party, who made the suggestion, said the UK lacked a “champion of IP” with direct access to the government.

Adam Rendle, an associate at Taylor Wessing LLP in London, said: “Lynch will have developed a good understanding of the current issues surrounding copyright from her time at the Copyright Hub and, before that, from her work with Richard Hooper.

“She will therefore be well placed to deal with a full in-tray.”

Lynch did not respond to requests to comment when contacted by WIPR.

The IPO said it would not comment on civil service appointments.

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