To be honest, I haven’t got much love for Valentine’s Day. Restaurants are crammed with couples who wish they were at home in comfort watching a film. Single people are watching films and wish they were out at restaurants with someone special.
I often find that I am out at events for Valentines (see previous blog) and in the evening I end up gazing across a candle lit table at a colleague from our IT department (remember Edinburgh Andy) or Enforcement Team (Happy Valentines Miles).
Giving the gift of IP
Life in the Business Outreach section is glamorous visiting St Tropez, Monaco, Paris; I wish. It’s more like, Southampton, Manchester and Peterborough. On a grey, dull, cold morning setting up an exhibition stand or getting ready for an intellectual property (IP) workshop.
Raising awareness of IP is a continuous task and being a national office means that we can‘t restrict ourselves to 10 miles from the office in Newport, South Wales (many people still assume we are London based).
We attend exhibitions and events all around the UK and can deliver anything from a half hour overview to a half day workshop, not forgetting our three-day master class.
There are several events on the week around VaIentines day and it’s no coincidence that the one on 16 February at Donnington is called the Love Business exhibition. Yes, we will be there flying the IPO flag and helping more businesses to protect their IP.
So Valentine’s Day has no real appeal to me, but for some, cards, chocolates and even marriage proposals seem to be the done thing. Last year over 180 million cards were exchanged. Many of these are anonymous, so if your partner receives one, no need to feel jealous. Look on the bright side, you could say it was from you?
If you do buy a card and write your own poem, you will automatically have copyright in your verse, providing its original. So here goes:
Roses are red
Violets are blue
Every business owns IP
So it’s relevant to you!
A Valentines for one
Where will I be this Valentine’s Day? It looks like I will be travelling to Doncaster. But don’t be upset for my partner, the garage at the top of the road does a lovely range of flowers. Also at the time of night I get home, they will be half price - bonus!
Don't forget to come and see us at your nearest event and in the meantime, check out IP for Business.
Love your IP and your IP will love you.
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1 comment
Comment by Teresa Deborah Ryle posted on
Apart from being an artist where copyright of my paintings is mine, I have also designed various items and for one in particular I will need to apply for a patent, the rest is IP, but being a struggling artist I do not have the finance behind me to carry out the necessary steps to stop anyone stealing my ideas, so for the moment I am keeping them to myself. Would love to get all my work sold goodness knows I need the space as storage is limited.