Adrian Speck is a Scholar of King's College Cambridge where he took a first class degree in Physics and Theoretical Physics. He obtained a Distinction in the Common Professional Examination before being called to the Bar in 1993 with the Wilfred Parker Prize.
Practice: Adrian's practice covers all aspects of Intellectual Property, Media and Entertainment and Information Technology law. His clients vary from large biotechnology and pharmaceutical corporations, substantial brand owners, broadcasters, television production companies and record companies to small businesses and private authors inventors and composers. He is co-author of The Modern Law of Copyright and Designs with Sir Hugh Laddie, Peter Prescott QC, Mary Vitoria QC and Lindsay Lane.
Important and Recent Notable Cases: In the field of media and entertainment, Adrian acted for JK Rowling and her publisher in obtaining a 'John Doe' injunction to restrain unknown persons from publication of the then unpublished Harry Potter book, a copy of which had been stolen from the printers. Recently he also acted for the BPI in its claim against CD WOW, including at the hearings after settlement relating to representations being made by CD WOW regarding the case and its settlement. He also acted for Associated Newspapers in its action to prevent Express Newspapers launching a paper under the title of Evening Mail. Adrian regularly acts in disputes relating to television formats. He acted for Granada and ITV in the Survivor/I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here dispute and in the Pop Idol/X Factor litigation which settled at the door of the Court in November 05. He also represented Guinness in the leading modern case on copyright and dramatic works in a case concerning a television advert for Guinness.
In the biotechnology and pharmaceutical field, Adrian acted for Medeva in the first case concerning genetic engineering to reach the House of Lords, Biogen v. Medeva. He regularly advises and appears in pharmaceutical cases. He has also acted in judicial review proceedings in the field of regulation of medicines and genetically modified crops. He appeared in the leading judicial review case on GM crops (ex p. Watson) where an organic farmer unsuccessfully challenged the legality of permission granted by the Minister and sought an order that GM corn near his farm be destroyed prior to it pollinating.
Adrian has appeared in a number of other leading IP cases including Scandecor v. Scandecor the first case under the 1994 Trade Marks Act to reach the House of Lords and in several cases concerned specifically with jurisdiction challenges over different IP disputes including Fort Dodge v. Akzo and Pearce v. Ove Arup, the latter being the first time an English court entertained an action for infringement of a foreign copyright.
A significant part of Adrian's practice is concerned with information technology disputes. He has acted for Via in various major pieces of litigation against Intel concerning the design and operation of chipsets and processors. Other major IT disputes have concerned SDRAM devices and RAID technology. Adrian has acted for Sony in a variety of disputes concerning PlayStation and PlayStation 2 games consoles, including disputes relating to chipping consoles to circumvent copy protection measures.