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TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2025-26

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Hello @Andrei Radu @Abbie Whitlock @Afraz Akhtar
I was wondering with regard to intellectual property practice - what's the pure substantive things we should know about for ACs? I don't mean like connecting to broader trends, but rather like actual concepts / content?

Thank you
@flower1 it’s been about two years since I studied this, so @Abbie Whitlock may be of more help but I’d say for Intellectual Property Practice the key thing to know is that there are various IP rights available in the UK (trademarks, copyright, patents, trade secrets/confidential information) all of which are governed by their own statutory provision e.g. CDPA 1988.

Some rights are automatic such as copyright and others are given upon application e.g. patents. However, for each there are certain criteria’s to fill - and this is where you’ll approach things through a step by step process based on the facts of the client. Once you have the right, each exists for a different amount of time.

The most interesting thing about IP is the disputes, so when a client claims their right is being infringed by another, however again it’s decided based on the facts and strengths of your right to begin with.

The subject alone is very content heavy, so I wouldn’t bother studying it for an AC - as they are not meant to be legal in nature (to give an equal chance to those from a non law background). However, the above should give you a general understanding of the work you’re likely to do in that department.
 
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@flower1 it’s been about two years since I studied this, so @Abbie Whitlock may be of more help but I’d say for Intellectual Property Practice the key thing to know is that there are various IP rights available in the UK (trademarks, copyright, patents, trade secrets/confidential information) all of which are governed by their own statutory provision e.g. CDPA 1988.

Some rights are automatic such as trademarks and others are given upon application e.g. patents. However, for each there are certain criteria’s to fill - and this is where you’ll approach things through a step by step process based on the facts of the client. Once you have the right, each exists for a different amount of time.

The most interesting thing about IP is the disputes, so when a client claims their right is being infringed by another, however again it’s decided based on the facts and strengths of your right to begin with.

The subject alone is very content heavy, so I wouldn’t bother studying it for an AC - as they are not meant to be legal in nature (to give an equal chance to those from a non law background). However, the above should give you a general understanding of the work you’re likely to do in that department.
Hey, sorry to correct but I think you mean copyright is automatic?

Trademarks should be filed.
 
Anyone else get a holding email from Willkie? Have people who did the VI in December heard back at all?
I got an email saying that they’re now reviewing applications and that Written Exercise will be near the end of January. They’ll let us know by 19th of January about the outcome of our video interviews. I’m assuming no one has heard back yet then but I could be wrong!
 
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