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| Free Public Seminar by IPRIA and CELRL in association with IP Australia, generously sponsored by Davies Collison Cave |
| Date: Wednesday 23rd April 2008 |
| Time: 6.00 pm - refreshments from 5.30 pm |
| Venue: Davies Collison Cave, 1 Nicholson Street, Melbourne |
Employees’ IP and the Employment Relationship
– Incentives to Innovate
The law plays a key role in the regulation of the employment relationship, in the protection of intellectual property (IP) and, in theory at least, the encouragement of innovation. The incentives central to IP law focus on the creation of property rights in the innovation – rights that may be used as a motivation for workers to innovate more or as a means to enhance the profitability of the firm, and therefore, improve the job security of workers. Property rights are, however, not available for know-how – those innovations that do not result in a patentable invention or a copyrighted work.
This seminar explores a number of issues that arise from the intersection of labour law, IP law and the need for incentives for innovation, from both theoretical and practical perspectives. Colin Fenwick will highlight the manner in which the law does, and does not, provide incentives for workers to innovate. Chris Dent will introduce ideas that have been put forward as frameworks to better imagine the way in which the law can offer incentives for innovation. Graeme Huon will offer insights, based on his experience as an inventor and as a head of a firm focused on innovation, into the expectations of the legal process as a tool for encouraging workers, and their employers, to engage in the processes of invention and creativity. |
| Colin Fenwick is a graduate of both the University of Melbourne and the University of Virginia, with fifteen years' experience in the field of labour relations law. He has been the Director of the Centre for Employment & Labour Relations Law since August 2004. Colin has worked in both legal practice and in the academy, in Australia, the United States and Switzerland. Colin’s research interests are in international and comparative labour law. Colin is also one of the editors of the Australian Journal of Labour Law. |
| Chris Dent joined IPRIA in January 2005 with a PhD in Law from Murdoch University in Perth. Prior to commencing work at IPRIA, Chris carried out policy research at the Law Reform Commission of Western Australia and the Victorian Law Reform Commission. He also worked with the Centre for Media and Communications Law at the University of Melbourne Law School. His research has two foci: critical legal approaches to intellectual property law and the links between IP law and other areas of law such as labour law. Last year he was promoted to the position of Senior Research Fellow. |
| Graeme Huon is the founder of audio acoustics technology and product development companies Whise, Precision Audio and Techstream, whose discoveries have been licensed by manufacturers worldwide. In 2005, Mr Huon won the Victorian State Pearcey Award for innovation in information and communications technology. |
| Victor Portelli, is the General Manager for Patents and Plant Breeders rights Group, IP Australia. Prior to joining IP Australia, Victor was at University (ANU) studying Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry. He joined the then Patents, Trade Marks and Designs Offices in 1988. Victor started out examining patents and had various other roles such as examiner training, off-line project work, etc. He worked in the Designs section for three years. Most recently, he worked in Trade Mark and Designs Examination Group. |
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