Lord Tim Clement-Jones has become an ambassador for Anti-Copying In Design.
The Liberal Democrat peer has supported ACID and the broader design community on a myriad of IP issues in the House of Lords over many years.
‘Design rights are a crucial part of our economy and they and our IP creators badly need better protection. So, I am delighted to have been invited to be an ACID ambassador and have enthusiastically accepted,’ he says.
‘Tim has been an articulate champion on behalf of IP rights creators and is a discerning voice in Westminster on all things IP. Expertly navigating his way through the complexity of IP issues, his enthusiastic advocacy for design and the creative industries consistently ensures our voice resonates within government. We would like to extend a warm welcome to Tim and to thank him for his tangible support and understanding of the challenges that many SME design innovators face through IP infringement,’ says Dids Macdonald, ACID ceo.
‘Tim has been an ambassador for designers for many years without receiving the acknowledgment he deserves. His knowledge of IP law and his willingness to keep learning about difficult areas of design law is a testament to his determination to make himself properly equipped to argue the case for designers in parliament. I can think of no better advocate for designers and improvements to design law in the public sector. Thank you for everything you have done to date Tim, and we look forward to working with you going forward,’ says Nick Kounoupias, ACID chief counsel and IP director.
Clement-Jones is a former chair of the Liberal party and chair of finance and federal treasurer of the Liberal Democrats. He was made CBE for political services in 1988 and a life peer in 1998. He is a former Liberal Democrat spokesperson on health and on culture, media and sport in the House of Lords and is the current Liberal Democrat House of Lords digital spokesperson. He has been chair of the House of Lords select committee on Artificial Intelligence and a former member of House of Lords select committees on communications and digital, the built environment, and risk assessment and planning.
He is business chair of Trust Alliance Group (formerly Ombudsman Services), the not-for-profit, independent ombudsman providing dispute resolution for the communications, energy, and parking industries. He is a consultant on AI policy and regulation at global law firm DLA Piper, where former positions held include London managing partner (2011-16), head of UK Government affairs, chair of its China and Middle East desks, international business relations partner, and co-chair of global government relations.
He is charitable and voluntary chair of council of Queen Mary University of London. He was chair of the advisory council of the former Institute for Ethical AI in Education, led by Sir Anthony Seldon which published its final report in March 2021. He is a former chair of council of the School of Pharmacy, University of London, (2008-12) before its merger with University College London, whereupon he became an external member of the council of University College London and chair of its audit committee (2012-17). Until its merger with Macmillan Cancer Support in 2008, he was a trustee of Cancer backup, the UK cancer information charity founded by his late wife, Dr Vicky Clement-Jones. He is a patron of Attitude is Everything and Music Venue Trust.
