| Biography | My career in IP began with Lovell White Durrant (now Lovells) in 1983. My practice experience in the UK up to late 1987 was exclusively in Litigation. Then moved out to Asia to join Baker & McKenzie in Hong Kong and then Singapore where I learnt about international enforcement programmes and local campaigns in the South East Asia region. Returned to the UK in 1990 and established the Rouse firm in July of that year.
Built up an international enforcement practice based on my Asian know-how, which quickly expanded into Central & Eastern Europe and the Middle East. My primary focus was on emerging markets with underdeveloped enforcement infrastructure, building expertise in territories others feared to tread. Industry knowledge Personally assisted major corporations with anti-counterfeiting and infringement issues in the following sectors: clothing & footwear; confectionary & foods; personal care; luxury goods; tobacco and automotive. Dealt with commercial people at all levels and maintained good relations based on trust and results. Information and investigation Considerable experience of working with investigators and the practical constraints involved in obtaining and using information. Public sector relations Dealt with Police, Customs, and Administrative authorities directly, as well and Criminal and Civil courts through local Counsel, in numerous countries. Undertaken fact-finding missions for the EPO in several CIS countries and contributed to WIPO Conferences and other educational activities for that region and in Asia. Contributed to the work of the WCO, principally driven by experience of the workings of the EU Counterfeit Goods Regulations throughout Europe. Assisted in the drafting of the mandate for the UNECE Advisory Group on IP and was a founder member of its Steering Committee. Participated in a UK Patent Office committee looking at enforcement of patents owned by SMEs.
Private sector organisations Contributed to conferences and seminars organised by the ACG, PTMG and INTA. Been Vice-Chair and Chairman of the INTA Anti-Counterfeiting Committee and was responsible for the drafting and promotion of the only two INTA resolutions relating to anti-counterfeiting (covering the WCO Model Legislation implementing the border control measures of TRIPs and the WIPO Model Provisions on Counterfeiting and Piracy of 1988). Drafted the INTA response to the EU Green Paper on Counterfeiting and a composite set of model provisions covering counterfeiting and border control measures for use by INTA in training and lobbying.
I am available for consulting work in relation to international enforcement strategy and programme implementation. | |