McDaniel & Co and Anti Copying in Design (ACID) to host free Intellectual Property seminar

Leading intellectual property (IP) law firm and ACID Affiliate lawyers McDaniel & Co and IP lobby and membership organisation Anti Copying in Design (ACID) are holding a free seminar in partnership with The Furniture Makers’ Company, the furnishing industry’s charity, to educate industry on how they can protect and exploit their furnishing designs.

The IP seminar is taking place at the Northern Design Centre, Gateshead on Wednesday 24 May 2017 (11.00am – 2.00pm).

Speakers at the event will include Niall Head-Rapson, director at McDaniel & Co, and Dids Macdonald, OBE, CEO of ACID, both experts in the field of IP law and, in particular design law.

The seminar will be suitable for designers, manufacturers and makers working within the furnishing industry that want to learn more about design protection, maximising and commercialising their designs and how to create a proactive IP strategy.

Guests will also get to find out about The Furniture Makers’ Company’s work in the areas of education, excellence and support from the charity’s CEO Jonny Westbrooke.

Lunch will be provided. To book your place, please contact Louise Hicks, northwest fundraiser, by emailing nwfundraiser@furnituremakers.org.uk or calling 07442 012216.

About the speakers

Dids Macdonald OBE

Dids Macdonald has over 25 years’ experience within the design industry initially owning an interior design company and latterly as a designer-maker. She launched ACID (Anti Copying in Design) because her products were consistently copied. ACID began informally in 1996 as a round table action group and has developed into a not for profit trade organisation representing thousands of designers within the creative industries. Dids lectures widely on IP issues concentrating on lone, micro and SME’s both nationally and internationally.

In June 2015 Dids was named an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) and made an Honorary Fellow of the British Institute of Interior Design (BIID).

In June 2016, Dids was nominated as one of two 2016 entrants to the Design Week Hall of Fame and in July she ACID was named as IP Champion by the Alliance for Intellectual Property on its first British IP Day at Westminster.

Niall Head-Rapson, director at McDaniel & Co

Niall graduated from Kings College, University of London with a degree in Biotechnology (B.Sc.) Hons.  Niall then undertook law at Nottingham Law School where he undertook the Common Professional Examination (Merit) and Law Society Finals (Honours).  Niall then undertook his training contract in the City of London with Gouldens (now Jones Day) subsequently moving to Freshfields and what is now Cameron McKenna.  Whilst in the City Niall undertook the Diploma in Intellectual Property Law at Queen Mary College London. After leaving the City, Niall was a partner at top 100 firms Martineau Johnson and Ward Hadaway before establishing McDaniel & Co.

Niall has a wide knowledge of all aspects of Intellectual Property over his 23 years’ experience in the field.  Niall has been involved in leading cases in all aspects of Intellectual Property in areas of Patent Law, Copyright, Design, Trade Marks & Confidential Information.