Parliament Member Named IP Adviser To UK Prime Minister

A member of the UK Parliament active in promoting intellectual property rights has been named the UK prime minister’s adviser on IP with a focus on enforcement.

MP Mike Weatherley was appointed by Prime Minister David Cameron as his adviser on intellectual property, “with a focus on intellectual property enforcement issues relating to the creative industries,” the prime minister’s office announced on 12 September.

Weatherly, the Conservative Member of Parliament for Hove and Portslade (near Brighton), has a background in the music and film industry.

According to Weatherly’s press release, “Before his election to Parliament in 2010, Mike was the Vice President (Europe) for the Motion Picture Licensing Company and previously worked for music industry giant Pete Waterman.” In Parliament since 2010, he has worked to raise awareness about IP rights, it said.

The announcement came at the time of a report that the City of London has launched a new organisation against IPR infringement, called the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU).

The appointment is intended to fit with a series of actions under the prime minister’s policy entitled, Making it easier for the media and creative industries to grow, while protecting the interests of citizens. It is unclear from the statements how the IP adviser will handle the role of protecting citizens’ interests.

Weatherly may be keeping his day job, as according to the prime minister’s office, the adviser role is unpaid.