My Summer of IP Experience: Understanding Different Forms of IP and the Unified Patent Court

In this blog post for Summer of IP 2026, Kadija Begum shares her experience attending one of our hybrid Introductory Events, where she learnt about the different types of Intellectual Property, and enjoyed the opportunity to network and find out more afterwards.

Kadija writes:

As part of the Summer of IP programme, I attended a panel discussion and networking event at Powell Gilbert, where I had the opportunity to hear from professionals working across different areas of intellectual property.

The panel covered patents, trade marks, copyright and designs, with each speaker explaining what their area of practice involves and sharing real examples from their work. Although my main interest is patents, I found the discussion on designs particularly interesting, especially the Trunki case.

During the networking session, I spent time speaking with Adam, a patent litigator. He explained his route into the profession, beginning with patent drafting and prosecution before moving into litigation. We also discussed how responsibilities change as you progress towards partnership, with a greater emphasis on business development and client relationships alongside legal work.

Adam also introduced me to the Unified Patent Court (UPC), which came into force in 2023. The UPC allows patent disputes to be resolved across multiple participating European countries through a single action, rather than requiring separate proceedings in each jurisdiction. I found it fascinating to see how this system addresses a longstanding challenge in European patent enforcement.

That conversation gave me a broader perspective on the profession. I attended with the goal of learning more about becoming a patent attorney, but I left thinking more about the long-term career path and what it takes to progress to partnership.

I’ve seen a great deal of progress in my understanding of intellectual property with each event I attend, and I’m looking forward to continuing that learning at the upcoming events.

If this post has inspired you, listen to a recording of this event “Introduction to the Different Forms of IP” available soon at Summer of IP 2026 Introductory Events and Recordings.