Members appointed to Strategic Advisory Board for Intellectual Property (SABIP)

Following an open competition, five members have been appointed to SABIP under the Chairmanship of Joly Dixon, CMG. They are:

• Dame Lynne Brindley - Chief Executive of the British Library
• Dr Cathy Garner - Chief Executive of Manchester Knowledge Capital
• Professor John Pickering - Member of the Competition Appeal Tribunal and Business Consultant
• Dr Jonathan Spencer, CB - former Director General at the Departments of Trade and Industry and Constitutional Affairs and member of the Solicitors' Regulation Authority
• Iain Wilcock - Founder and Deputy Managing Director of Quester Capital, a healthcare investment company.

SABIP has been set up as an advisory non-departmental body to give Ministers strategic advice on intellectual property issues. It has a research budget which it will use to commission the empirical evidence that will underpin its thinking and advice.

Making the formal appointments to the inaugural board of SABIP, Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities, and Skills said:

"Intellectual property is central to the UK economy, providing an essential framework for the promotion and protection of innovation and creativity. SABIP will be at the heart of the IP system, driving the thinking on emerging issues and providing strategic oversight of policy and advice to Ministers.

I am delighted to appoint members with extensive experience in a number of areas including copyright, healthcare, competition, finance, and innovation. This calibre of membership will be a key ingredient for the high quality outputs I expect SABIP to deliver."

Members will be appointed for an initial period of two years and will be paid £6,000 p.a. each.

This is a public appointment which has been made in accordance with the Code of Practice of the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments (OCPA). It has been made on merit in an open competition and political activity played no part in the selection process. In accordance with the requirement for appointees’ political activity to be made public all applicants filled in a political activity questionnaire. One member, Professor Pickering, has declared local political activity on behalf of the Conservative party.

Editor's notes

• SABIP was set up following a recommendation of the Gowers Review of intellectual Property. It will operate as a non-departmental public body helping to provide a strategic overview of IP policy in the context of the wider economy.
• Full biographies of members can be found on the SABIP website .
• For enquiries about this press release please contact Nadia Vally on +44 (0) 20 7596 6533
• For enquiries about the UK Intellectual Property Office press or media activities please contact the Communications Team on +44 (0) 1633 814840 or +44 (0) 1633 813825.

Date of release: 2 May 2008