The Inventor Prize 2017

Jane Lambert

When NESTA announced on 24 Jan 2017 that it "was working with BEIS to pilot an ‘inventor’ prize that will inspire and harness the potential of the UK’s home-grown inventors and stimulate user-led innovation" (see Zofia Jackiewicz Announcing the Inventor Prize on 24 June 2017 Inventor Prize website), I promised to do everything I could to support the initiative (see NESTA's Inventor Prize 26Jan 2017 NIPC Yorkshire).

Today NESTA appeals to the public for help to "refine the prize design through a better understanding of the support inventors need" (see  The Inventor Prize wants to hear from you 19 June 2017).  As I noted in my article "the Inventor Prize, which opens for entries later this summer, is a challenge prize pilot that aims to inspire and harness the potential of the UK’s home-grown inventors." NESTA is now holding a month-long consultation during which it will aim to talk to inventors, experts and the public about how it can shape the prize so as to achieve its aim of helping inventors.

It will do that by conducting a survey which I did this morning, interviewing respondents and holding a workshop at the Museum of London between 09:00 and 12:00 on the 10 July. Regrettably, I can't attend that workshop as I have conflicting professional obligations but I will report regularly on this initiative.

In the meantime, here are three interesting inventions that NESTA has found which have been created by individual inventors:

• The Comp-A-Tent disposable tent made from non-finite, bio-based materials which are selected for their minimal environmental impact; 
• Sugru, the first new mouldable glue designed for fixing, making and improving stuff; and 
• Nimble which looks like a thimble but seems to do a great deal more.

Today I received a call from an inventor in Northampton about the advice and assistance that was available in his area. If you want to find out what services and resources are available in your part of the United Kingdom, call me on 020 7404 5252 or message me through my contact form.

Barnsley IP Clinic 9 May 2017

Jane Lambert

On the second Tuesday of every month, I give up to four 30 minute consultations on intellectual property and related areas if law free of charge to entrepreneurs, inventors, artists, designers or anyone who can get to my clinic at Barnsley Business and Innovation Centre off Innovation Way at Wilthorpe in Barnsley.

Typical questions are:

• "I have an idea for a new business. Can you tell me how to protect it?"
• "How can I find out whether my invention is new?"
• "Someone wants to invest in my business. What sort of agreement should I make with him?"
• "How do I 'copyright' a logo?"
• "Where do I find a patent or trade mark attorney and what should I be looking out for?"
• "I have just received this threatening letter from a firm of solicitors. What should I do about it?"

I have been practising IP law for many years and I can help you with all those issues. I normally charge for my time so a free consultation is quite a saving.

The next clinic is between 10:00 and 12:00 on Tuesday, 9 May 2017. f you want to book an appointment you can fill in this online booking form or call George Scanlan on 020 7404 5252 during normal office hours and ask him to book you a slot.

After the clinic, I shall give a talk on a topic of interest to entrepreneurs and other business owners between 12:15 and 13:15. The topic for next month's talk will be

How do I protect my business idea?

That is the question I am most frequently asked but it is not straightforward to answer because everybody's business idea is different as are everybody's circumstances and resources. The most extensive form of protection for a new product or process is a patent but it is expensive to get and even more expensive to maintain and enforce and for some businesses it is just not possible. I will take the audience through all the options, the advantages and disadvantages of each type of protection, the likely costs and some tips on finding a patent attorney, IP insurance and watch services. If you want to stay for that, call George on 020 7404 5252 to book your place.