1. Select one category which best describes your role in the firm. (Reference to solicitors includes registered foreign lawyers)
   
   
2. Which age category are you in?
   
   
3. What is your sex?
   
   
4. Is your gender identity the same as your sex registered at birth?
   
   
5. Do you consider yourself to have a disability according to the definition in the Equality Act 2010?
   The Equality Act 2010 defines a disabled person as someone who has a mental or physical impairment that has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on the person’s ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities. If you have a condition which fits the Equality Act definition, please tick ‘Yes’ even if you are not limited by your condition.
   
   
6. Are your day-to-day activities limited by your disability or condition?
   
   
7. What is your ethnicity?
   
   
8. What is your religion or belief?
   
   
9. What is your sexual orientation?
   
   
10. What was the occupation of your main household earner when you were aged about 14?
    
    
11. Which type of school did you attend for the most time between the ages of 11 and 16?
    If you changed schools, please base your answer on the last two years of your education.
    
    
12. Did either of your parents attend university and gain a degree (eg BA/BSc or equivalent) by the time you were 18?
    
    
13. Are you a primary carer for a child or children under 18?
    
    
14. Do you look after or care for someone 18 or over with long term physical or mental ill health caused by disability or age (not in a paid capacity)?
    
    

The post Diversity and Inclusion appeared first on CJCH Legal Compliance.

In today’s data-driven world, I am constantly on the lookout for ways to leverage data to make informed decisions. Tools like Power BI have become indispensable in my work, providing powerful data visualization and business intelligence capabilities that enable me to create interactive reports and dashboards. However, mastering these tools and their underlying languages, such as DAX (Data Analysis Expressions), can be challenging. This is where AI-powered assistants like ChatGPT come in, offering real-time assistance, and enhancing my productivity. A recent survey by GitHub has highlighted the widespread acceptance of such AI tools among developers, with a staggering 92% of US-based developers working in large companies reporting the use of an AI coding tool either at work or in their personal time¹.

A Glimpse into the Future of ChatGPT

The future of AI in the workplace is promising, with a potential business version of ChatGPT on the horizon. The rumoured features such as managing workspaces, inputting documents, and setting custom profile prompts could revolutionize how we interact with AI².

Custom profiles for different departments, each tailored to the unique needs and challenges of their roles, could become invaluable resources. Imagine an investigator profile, acting as a master investigator, scouring the internet to source company information. This AI assistant could essentially become an instant messaging Wiki, using the input documents to help the investigator in their role.

Consider a compliance officer profile, a master negotiator capable of analysing input text for sentiment and drafting or modifying responses to achieve the desired result. This AI assistant could provide invaluable support in negotiations, helping to ensure the best outcomes for the company.

Or a data analyst profile, a coding guru able to generate high-quality code, suggest improvements and identify bugs. This AI assistant could use the input files to answer queries, identify outliers, find errors, and visualize data as requested. It could become an indispensable tool for data analysts, enhancing productivity and accuracy.

Policy Considerations

As AI becomes more prevalent in our work, it’s crucial to address potential risks. Apple, for instance, has restricted the use of ChatGPT among its employees due to concerns about potential leaks of confidential data³. This highlights the need for companies to adopt policies regarding the input of sensitive company data into these large language models (LLMs).

Companies big and small are shaping policies that say what employees can and can’t do with generative artificial intelligence tools such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT. For example, Samsung banned the use of generative AI tools after an employee uploaded sensitive code to ChatGPT⁴. On the other hand, digital business contract software company Ironclad developed its own generative AI use policy, despite the fact that its technology is empowered by generative AI itself⁴.

These developments underscore the importance of having clear policies in place for the use of AI tools in the workplace. As AI continues to evolve and become more integrated into our work, it’s crucial for companies to stay ahead of the curve and ensure they’re using these tools in a way that’s secure, ethical, and beneficial for all.

References

1. GitHub finds 92% of developers love AI tools
2. Upcoming ChatGPT features: file uploading, profiles, organizations and workspaces
3. Apple Restricts Employee Use of ChatGPT, Joining Other Companies Wary of Leaks
4. Samsung among companies starting to draft ChatGPT policies for workers

The post Team Personal Insight: Enhancing My Work Life with ChatGPT appeared first on CJCH Legal Compliance.

Data and intellectual property specialist Ana Kocmut-Saunders, Anti-Piracy and Licence Compliance manager Anna Krajewska, and Anti-Piracy and Business Intelligence specialist researcher and supervisor Charlotte Bardet are speaking out to mark the worldwide initiative on April 26.

This year’s event will see people coming together to celebrate the impact of Women in Innovation and Creativity globally. This year’s theme aims to highlight the remarkable and life-enhancing achievements of women working to drive progression across the IP and life science industries.
a
To celebrate the day, all three team members at CJCH Solicitors and CJCH Consulting have explained why they chose a career in intellectual property, the most common IP misconceptions, and their thoughts on gender inclusivity in IP.

Ana Kocmut-Saunders

Data and IP specialist, Commercial Law team

Why did you decide to enter IP profession?

I grew up in a very creative environment. My grandad was a known artist who designed postage stamps and bank notes for former Yugoslavia, my parents were involved in music and antiques, and my sister is an architect.

Consequently, I learned from very young age to understand and appreciate creativity.

However, I always wanted to be a lawyer, and hence I have chosen an area of law that is closest to originality and innovation.

Before I joined CJCH Solicitors, I worked as an in-house lawyer for a leading Microsoft Gold partner that had developed its own IP to enhance the standard product offering. It was here I discovered how dynamic IP law is and how valuable IP can be for a business.

What is the one key piece of advice you’d always give to clients about IP?

IP is one of the most important financial assets of any business. It can potentially make up more than 40% of an average business value. It is an item on the balance sheet that will present itself in the short-to-midterm as a ROI, but going forward it can generate pure profit.

What is the one misconception clients always have about IP?

I would say that there are some misconceptions about IP. Organisations or individuals are not aware of all forms of IP that can support and protect their businesses, for example customer lists should be regarded as a trade secret.

Initially, it can be hard for them to understand the value of their IPR, especially the ones that are difficult to identify, such as know-how and already mentioned customer lists. They may also struggle to see how they can effectively exploit their IP.

At the outset, IP enables individuals and organisations to separate their products and/ or services from their competitors and to make it easier for them, if necessary, to prove their ownership.

Do you think IP profession is more inclusive in 2018?

IP has always been an all-encompassing area of law that requires experts from different professions to work together as a team. If you are in an IP profession, you need to walk a mile in your client’s shoes in order to understand your client’s business and meet your client’s needs.

Globalisation and rapid developments in technology in recent years have profoundly changed the way businesses operate. CJCH recognised this shift in the market early on and as a forward-looking law firm CJCH has responded to these new market conditions by embracing technology, and by employing people with different sets of skills from different professions. This bespoke approach has enabled CJCH to successfully tackle and prevent web-based copyright infringements.

Why do you think it is important to celebrate IP Day?

From a business perspective, it is important to raise awareness of all the different forms of IP, the best way for organisations and individuals to protect their IP and to exploit benefits of monopoly rights.

Nonetheless, by celebrating IP we celebrate and encourage originality, creativity and innovation as driving forces in our lives.

Anna Krajewska

Anti-Piracy and Licence Compliance manager

Why did you decide to enter the IP profession?

I worked for 10 years at the Polish Railways specialising in domestic and international transportation law, and joining CJCH in 2017 was a new challenging chapter in my career.

Having no bespoke academic background in Intellectual Property, I was offered a unique opportunity to gain my experience by “doing”.

CJCH with its extensive offer of IP related services, including among others IP management, IP commercialisation and IP rights protection turned out to be indeed, a perfect place to gain experience in this area of expertise.

Being part of the Anti-Piracy and Compliance Department has allowed me to observe IP “in action” first hand.

What IP services does CJCH offer?

At Anti-Piracy and Compliance we identify potential IP infringements through our thorough research and then follow up with a mediation process of license compliance.

In the case of innovative software development, IP is the most precious asset and our task is to help our clients to recover their loss of revenue due to piracy.

What is the one key piece of advice you’d always give to clients about IP?

I agree with the opinion that IP is not so much about law as it is about business. It exists to serve and protect client’s genuine business assets. This is one of the reasons why seeking legal advice could be of crucial importance regardless of the size of the company.

What is the one misconception clients always have about IP?

Quite often a client might be confused about what trade mark, copyright or patents mean. Helping the client to understand the differences between the definitions, and how they are used, will substantially help decide which form of IP might be best for their business.

From the commercial point of view, IP rights allow to differentiate client’s business from their competition and might be a very useful tool to attract investors as well.

Why do you think it is important to celebrate IP Day?

Despite the growing awareness of IP within societies, there is still room for improvement.

For instance, according to 2017 EUIPO report “European Citizens and Intellectual Property. Perception, awareness and behavior” 97% of respondents believe it is important that inventors, creators and performing artists can protect their rights and be paid for their work.

However, 10 % of respondents admitted accessing content from illegal online sources intentionally, and especially among the group aged 15-24 the number was significantly higher: 27% !

I believe celebrating IP Day is a great opportunity to highlight the value of IP and to help to raise awareness of piracy. Building respect for IP from the youngest age should be one of the main goals of public and private sector as well as civil society.

Charlotte Bardet

Supervisor, Anti-Piracy research and Business Intelligence team

Why did you decide to enter the IP profession?

Although I have always found this area particularly interesting, with the ever increasing dependency on data and technology in business, I had never really thought about or intended on entering the IP profession.

When selecting my optional modules for the Legal Practice Course (LPC), and over much deliberation, I ended up opting for Mergers and Acquisitions over IP.

However, on completing the LPC, a position as Researcher on the Anti-Piracy and Compliance team at CJCH opened up and I grabbed the opportunity to work at such a vibrant and forward-thinking firm.

I remember thinking how ahead of the game CJCH seemed to be compared to other law firms with regard to its approach to IP. The truth is that I didn’t even know the half of it at the time. The more I work in the IP profession, the more I realise how much there is to learn, but also how much there is to advise clients on.

What is the one key piece of advice you’d always give to clients about IP?

I think my one piece of advice would be to always be cautious with your intellectual property – protect it as early on as possible. In doing so, the key is to be proactive as well as reactive, and to anticipate any obstacles as far as possible.

What is the one misconception clients always have about IP?

The main misconception I’ve come across is clients thinking that IP can be protected at all costs. Particularly with the GDPR coming in, companies need to be aware of the repercussions this can have in trying to enforce its IP rights against individuals. This is why it is so important to protect intellectual property from the outset and handling any breach with care.

Do you think the IP profession is more inclusive in 2018?

As a newcomer to the field, I don’t know whether I can say IP is more inclusive in 2018. However, my experience so far has included working with very intelligent and strong women across all levels of management, including our Trainee Solicitor, Ana, and our Head of the Compliance and Enforcement team, Ania.

CJCH as a whole encourages a very inclusive environment, with Jacqui Seal as Senior Partner and Jodi Winter as Head of Department for Family and Children Law, just to name a few.

What IP services does CJCH offer?

CJCH Consulting includes our Anti-Piracy and Compliance department, which carries out research and compliance work for several clients, including Dassault Systèmes and Verosoft.

This work entails building cases against companies and other legal entities who breach our clients’ copyrighted IP, thus enforcing copyright laws across Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. Our team includes experts from various fields, and speaking over 20 languages across the department, all apply their diverse skills in order to combat IP crime for our clients.

Why do you think it is important to celebrate IP Day?

It’s important to celebrate IP Day to raise awareness. I think in a lot of people’s minds IP crime is still thought of as a tangible thing, such as pirated DVDs and fake Pravda handbags.

Although this is still a problem confronted by law enforcement around the world, increasingly, the majority of intellectual property, and breaches thereof, are taking place in the world of the intangibles.

This makes recognising what IP is, tracing where it goes and enforcing any IP rights more and more difficult.

The post World IP Day: Five questions with our female CJCH experts appeared first on CJCH Legal Compliance.

Our CEO, Stephen Clarke, is currently on a far-east tour and has spent the last week in Shanghai, China, to get to know an affiliate firm more closely. Hanyuan Partners’, law firm based in Shanghai, Senior Partner, Zhenhao, has graciously hosted Stephen for his time there and been in discussions with him around future prospects.

Although our primary intention was aimed at furthering the relationship between our two firms and for us to share our extensive experience in international software anti-piracy research, we have also considered the option of new market penetration and support.

Through our experience in operating in various countries and with various cultures and jurisdictions, the team here in China believe a mutually beneficial partnership is possible, to link Chinese business with organisations and law firms in the EMEA region. Hanyuan Partners has already begun the ground work for facilitating these investment opportunities in Africa, as detailed in this article from China.org.cn.

Through our relationship with the firm, we now have the potential to support these initiatives and help open doors through our existing partnerships and relationships in the region.

Hanyuan Partners is a similar operation to CJCH, as it is a firm of around 100 staff with a large proportion of those being lawyers. Our host, Zhenhao, leads a department which focuses on Intellectual Property and enforcement, which accounts for around 35 of the firm’s total staff count. Similar to CJCH, they have an international element to their firm, and one of the team members hosting Stephen this week is a trainee lawyer who is retraining after having previously qualified as an accountant at St. Andrew’s University, and spending 15 years in Scotland before returning to China.

Stephen is to spend a few more days in China and is aiming to return in the near future along with some of the CJCH Consulting senior staff, to provide expert training in Intellectual Property Infringement research and License Compliance strategies from our own perspective. This cross-border knowledge sharing and collaboration aim to provide a more advanced service offering for all our clients and a collective growth of thought leadership in our industry.

Stephen Clarke noted that “ultimately we believe that a joint venture is a viable option for serving our international clients on a completely new level.”

The post UK consultancy and law Firm to collaborate in facilitating Chinese investment in Africa appeared first on CJCH Legal Compliance.