member

We have produced a member list database for managing member information.

Features:

• Templated email messages for easy send of similar information.
• Custom fields of varying types.
• Selection by attribute AND individual name. This means that one can select an attribute of committee which sends to those with that specific attribute attached.
• Reporting on full information or simple list

Planned Features

• Scheduled emails​
• More comprehensive reporting
• Billing ability if required.
• Heirarchical display of audited outbound contact
• Inbound contact management

If any thing here sounds interesting, or you wish to know more please contact me using my email address and I shall be most forthcoming.

All.

David A. Robertson

Help young people kick-start their careers with Future You – a free careers app for 13-21 year olds in Norfolk. Using skills, aptitudes and qualifications, Future You can help young people identify their ideal careers in one of Norfolk’s six leading growth sectors.

Future You is a completely free careers guidance app, developed for young people, by young people. The app is available for both Apple phone users and Android and there is also an online web tool.

The app is designed to help young people recognise the wealth of career opportunities available to them right on their doorstep in Norfolk. Norfolk has six leading growth sectors which provide a vast range of career prospects.

We have identified the six leading growth areas as follows:

• Energy
• Engineering
• Life sciences
• Creative industries
• Financial Services
• Health and social care

The app takes interests, skills and aptitudes and provides link to advice and support on what different jobs are available within each growth sector, it identifies the career pathways that are available and what steps to take. There is also support in creating the perfect CV, preparing for an interview as well as highlighting the latest apprenticeships and traineeships available to them and much more.

Future You is supported by six partner companies who, with the help of their employees, brought the Future You campaign to life. Those companies are:

• Marsh UK
• Institute of Food Research
• Norse Care
• Perenco Ltd
• osbornenash
• Dodman Limited

If your company falls within one of these six growth Sectors we are here to help

We are always looking for more local businesses who represent the 6 key growth areas to support and work with us to help promote Future You to future generations of talent in Norfolk.

If you would like any further information about the Future You app and how to get involved then we would love to hear from you. Please email the communications team atmarketing@norfolk.gov.uk

For more information on Future You, including how to download the app as well as the six case studies featured within the Future You campaign visit www.futureyounorfolk.com

Future you is also on twitter – follow @Norfolk_FY for app support and feedback, tips and advice as well as highlighting current vacancies and how to make the most of Future You. We are always looking for ways in which we can improve Future You and your feedback is greatly appreciated to help make Future You a better experience for everyone.

The Future You team will be at the Norfolk Skills and Careers Festival to connect first hand with the future generation of talent in Norfolk and help demonstrate the Future You app and the support it can offer.

The new year is a good time to step back and assess whether the IP rights in your portfolio are adding value to your business, but where should you begin?

Many companies estimate the healthiness and relative worth of their IP portfolios based on size alone. However, those IP rights could be worth far less than hoped if the following checks and balances aren’t also considered. IP portfolios are frequently cluttered with unused registrations or starved by gaps in coverage; reviewing your IP now via a detailed audit could help you to identify ways to streamline your portfolio in 2016, saving you money while also improving the efficiency of your assets.

Step 1: Review your IP records and data for accuracy The data in your IP portfolio needs to be accurate and up-to-date, otherwise you may find that you don’t quite own the rights that you think you do. Taking the time now to cleanse, update and rationalise your IP data can save you both time and money in the long-run, as it will identify errors in the records, as well as unnecessary costs such as duplicate registrations (e.g between national and CTM rights).

Centralising IP ownership can also help you to avoid unnecessary costs and risks, e.g. due to refusals or duplicate records. This also enables companies to file oppositions or to act against infringement on behalf of one formal party, instead of being forced to initiate double procedures in case of decentralised ownership.

Step 2: Audit your IP portfolio for value A regular IP audit enables you to assess the value of your portfolio against the costs involved in growing and maintaining the IP rights it contains. It helps to identify, for example, trademark rights that are being renewed despite never being used, as well as gaps in protection, which might leave a company exposed. To undertake this audit, we would first recommend:

• Reviewing your IP strategy to ensure that it takes into account your strategic business goals;
• Prioritising your IP rights (e.g. between ‘core’ and ‘non-core’), and markets (countries and goods/services) based on current branding/R&D strategy and future plans;
• Auditing licensing and royalty agreements to ensure that the rights have been correctly maintained and the revenues received; and
• Reviewing your supplier list to see if it is possible to generate further cost savings by consolidating your IP portfolio with one provider.

Step 3: Conduct regular healthchecks Completing an IP audit is only the first step in what should be a regular programme of portfolio reviews. By conducting audits at regular intervals (ideally at least every six months), you can ensure that your portfolio continues to evolve as your business does, and it could also identify additional savings in the future; for example, by:

• Merging registrations;
• Allowing possible duplicate (local) registrations to lapse; and
• Identifying unexploited rights that could be sold, licensed or allowed to lapse.

Find out more Novagraaf regularly undertakes IP audits for customers, helping them to assess the efficiency of their rights, to identify gaps in coverage and to highlight areas where they could save costs. You can find out more about this service and our methodology on our website.

Howdy ~ my name is Shannon, I am 21 years old and I am a new Swarm apprentice. My new job role is Operations Assistant.

Well so far I have constantly been enthralled by everybody’s enthusiasm to get things up and running and it has been quite exciting. I am glad to be in a training position again because I just feel that there is so much more that I need to learn. I also met Robert Ashton a couple of days ago, and first impressions…well, let’s just say that he is quite a character; someone with a quirky and spirited personality. Everybody here is kind of like that, really. This will make life working at Swarm much more interesting, yes indeedy.

Before I applied for the first apprenticeship I did, my perceptions of being an apprentice were very much outdated. In fact, when I thought of the word apprentice, a blacksmith came to mind… so you can probably imagine how surprising it was when I saw how many different ones there were and discovered what they were actually like.

So before I enrolled with Swarm, I thought that being an Enterprise apprentice would just be the same as any other apprenticeship role. But no, it is actually better in a lot of ways (not that my last one was rubbish, of course). I really enjoyed the last one and learnt a lot from it – I could have just got a normal job afterwards – but I chose to be a Swarm apprentice instead because it will give me the confidence to reach my potential, and do the maximum that I can do, not the least that I can get away with.

Well, it’s better than just sitting there doing nothing but converting oxygen into carbon dioxide until your boss gives you another mundane task to finish off, at least until they trust that you can do some of the more complicated stuff – which is understandable I suppose, but not really challenging enough.

Doing an apprenticeship then joining Swarm has also really opened my eyes, helped me to set goals for myself and the business, and given me more understanding as well – that you can’t just come out of some university and expect to be doing a high-powered job that will get you earning a huge amount of money. It just isn’t going to happen. Most employers these days want EXPERIENCED employees, so obviously it’s not good enough just to have a wealth of knowledge on a particular subject but not have a clue what you have to do when it comes to actually doing the job. So I also have the chance to get a good job that would usually be given to a highly-trained experienced expert before a university graduate. (It’s not that I’m against doing a university degree. It’s one of my future goals.)

My goals for the Swarm business within the next five years are to help raise awareness of the value of doing an apprenticeship, and of course the benefits. I would also like the business to find ways of supporting young people by using other means. Basically though, I would just like to help Swarm become a well-known organisation throughout the country.

My personal goals for me are to eventually pass my driving test, gain a thorough knowledge of the Swarm Apprenticeships business, complete the enterprise qualification, and as I mentioned earlier – start doing a degree with the Open University.

So, in conclusion… to any employers, please think about taking on an apprentice. To anyone who has just finished doing their GCSEs, their A-Levels, or perhaps just want a fresh start in life doing something else… I say go for an Apprenticeship, you won’t regret it – or at least think about it, because you would really be missing out on something great!

Shannon Watkins

Nestlé fails in its battle to protect the shape of its KitKat bar as a trademark, after High Court of England and Wales rules that the chocolate bar has failed to acquire distinctiveness through use. Novagraaf’s Claire Jones outlines the implications for brand owners.

Obtaining trademark protection of shapes is not as common or as simple as trademark protection for other types of signs, such as words, slogans or logos.

Registration limitations exclude shapes from trademark protection, if:

• they consist of a shape which results from the nature of the goods themselves;
• the shape gives substantial value to the goods; or
• if the shape of goods is necessary to obtain a technical result.

Shapes that are not excluded on these grounds can obtain trademark protection, but – as with trademarks in general – only if they satisfy criteria for distinctiveness. In practice, this is quite a hurdle as it can be difficult to argue that consumers recognise a shape as a distinguishing mark of a particular undertaking. Ideally, shapes need to depart significantly from the norm or customs of the sector in order to fulfil the essential function of a trademark of indicating a product’s origin.

Why KitKat’s four-finger shape falls short In 2010, Nestlé filed an application to register a trademark for its four fingered KitKat bar. As the application was for a shape mark, the (word) mark KitKat was not included in the application.

The UK Intellectual Property Office (IPO) originally accepted the application and registered the shape mark; however, competitor Cadbury’s opposed the registration. In the procedure that followed, the High Court of Justice of England and Wales referred the following questions to the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) for a preliminary ruling.

In essence, the procedure concerned the following questions:

• Is the shape of the KitKat bar excluded from trademark protection because one of the grounds for refusal is applicable? And, if the answer to that question is negative;
• Has the shape acquired a distinctive character through use?

Applying the grounds for refusal With respect to the first question, the CJEU heard arguments that the chocolate bar’s shape contained three essential features: one of which results from the nature of the goods themselves and two of which are necessary to obtain a technical result.

The court discussed that it is possible for the essential features of a sign to be covered by one or more grounds of refusal. It then went on to clarify that the grounds of refusal regarding the technical result must be interpreted as referring only to the manner in which the goods at issue function and not the manner in which they are manufactured. The court also clarified that registration may be refused only where at least one of those grounds is fully applicable to the sign at issue. The case was then returned to the UK courts for review.

A final refusal by the High Court of England and Wales Guided by the CJEU’s opinion, Mr Justice Arnold concluded that: “In order to demonstrate that a sign has acquired distinctive character, the applicant or trademark proprietor must prove that, at the relevant date, a significant proportion of the relevant class of persons perceives the relevant goods or services as originating from a particular undertaking because of the sign in question (as opposed to any other trademark which may also be present).” (para 57)

In other words, to prove acquired distinctiveness, Nestlé must show that the relevant public recognises the shape in itself as originating from Nestlé. However, Mr Justice Arnold ruled that was only able to establish association, which was not sufficient to demonstrate the necessary acquisition of distinctive character. The shape was, therefore, deemed ineligible for registration and the appeal was dismissed.

Implications for trademark holders In effect, there was substantial evidence presented in the proceedings to show that consumers associated the shape of the bar with the KitKat brand, but not that consumers already relied upon that shape before purchase. Therefore, the main evidence point to come out of the proceedings is that the evidence must show that consumers perceive the trademark as indicating exclusive origin from one particular undertaking. However, the application of such a test was not made entirely clear by Mr Justice Arnold, and this point is likely to be contended in the future.

The bar for acquired distinctiveness of shapes has been set very high and consumers will be foremost in any analysis.

Claire Jones is a trademark attorney in the London offices of Novagraaf.

Has the New Year heralded the start of a new career for you? However experienced you are, the first few weeks in a new job can be just as intimidating as they are exciting. We’ve compiled some of the top tips our recruitment consultants regularly share as part of their ongoing support for our candidates, even after they’ve found them a new role.

1. Build respect

Build respect and trust by looking for ways to help out and take an interest in what other people are doing. Try to pick up on your new colleague’s working styles and adapt your approach to meet their needs. If you are a manager, take time to get to know your team as well as other senior colleagues. Building relationships will enable you to nurture a strong team spirit and establish yourself as a supportive leader from day one.

2. Understand the new culture

Use your first few weeks to absorb what goes on around you in order to understand the organisation’s culture and values, and how it engages with its customers, employees and the local community. In many instances the culture will stem from an organisation’s origins. Read up on its history as well as any current mission statements, business plans and company handbooks. Also, look at how new ideas are developed and implemented, and understand who the key decision makers are.

3. Get to grips with your job description

A written job description is only one element in fully understanding your responsibilities. It’s also important to establish people’s expectations of you, and for you to discover the structure and skills available within your team to help you meet these expectations. Although you will be expected to deliver results eventually, be patient and don’t rush with ambitious goals. Spend time developing your knowledge of the organisation’s industry, its customers, competitors, products, services and people. When you have absorbed the necessary information, you will be in a stronger position to really start performing at your best.

4. Build a rapport with the boss

Request meetings with your boss on a consistent basis to review your performance, and also to establish a rapport. If they haven’t provided you with a list of expectations for your probationary period, take proactive action. Either ask your manager to write some goals and objectives for you, or write them yourself and ask for them to be approved. Make sure you schedule in an informal review of your performance halfway through the probationary period, so you can put yourself back on course if things are going wrong.

5. Find a mentor

As you get introduced to senior staff, look for those who convey reliability, confidence and initiative, and who could act as a mentor for you. Mentoring has numerous benefits, from having an experienced, knowledgeable person to bounce ideas off, through to someone who actively helps direct and advance your career within the organisation.

A career in the digital industry might sound exciting but what skills do students need and what opportunities are there in Norwich? Kieran Miles, a local entrepreneur came up with the idea of a digital city walk which takes place next week.

This great concept will give students,parents and teachers the opportunity to step inside the doors of digital businesses in Norwich and show them face to face what skills and opportunitiesthere are locally.

Digital is a growing industry in Norwich and as a Tech Nation cluster citythere are over 14,500 people employed in this growing sector. However,although the digital sector may be growingone of the biggest problems Norwich businesses have is recruitment. Recruiting people with the right set of skills is difficult which is why businesses are keen to start conversations with students to share with them the careers and opportunities they have on their doorstep.

As a career path, digital businesses in Norwich are keen to showcase the local career opportunities, educate and help students from schools, colleges and university. It’seasy for students to thinkthey need to head to London for a great career in digital but we have lots of businesses in Norwich doing great things, including large-scale national and international projects.

To find out more including a list of businesses students, parents and teachers can visit go to https://wearedigitalcity.org/