Spyros, Trevor, Gillian, Hugh © Carys Lavin, 2014
Janet, Florian, Fran, Adrian © Carys Lavin, 2014
Constance Sutherland, Nick Munn, Adrian © Carys Lavin, 2014
A group of former students © Carys Lavin, 2014
On 18 March 2014 at a Reception at Stationers Hall, London, the British Copyright Council (BCC), the Queen Mary University of London Centre for Commercial Law Studies (CCLS) and the British Literary and Artistic Copyright Association (BLACA) were joint hosts to celebrate Professor Adrian Sterling’s 60 years’ work in copyright. Many other organisations associated with copyright also supported the event, and over 100 friends and colleagues of Adrian were present, including those who had travelled from Austria, Belgium, Germany, Spain and the United States.
Trevor Cook, BCC Chairman, opened the proceedings, referring to Adrian’s work for the BCC, including his being instrumental in the formation of the BCC’s Working Group on Copyright and Technology. Adrian gave an address outlining his appreciation of what he had learned from and the friends he has made in working in copyright. In concluding he said: “Perhaps most important of all, copyright brings people from all round the world together, as in our copyright classes when students from many countries meet each other and reach new understanding about living in harmony with everyone… In celebrating my time in copyright, you are celebrating copyright itself. In celebrating copyright we celebrate those who create and bring before the world literary, dramatic, musical and artistic works which sustain and give us inspiration and pleasure throughout life.”
Tributes to Adrian’s work followed, given by Professor Gillian Davies on behalf of BLACA, by Professor Spyros Maniatis on behalf of CCLS, and by Professor Uma Suthersanen and Dr Tina Loverdou on behalf of Adrian’s teaching colleagues and students. Maureen Duffy, BBC President of Honour, concluded the tributes with an appreciation of Adrian’s work with the BCC, presenting a bouquet to Caroline Sterling in appreciation of her contribution to BCC’s work particularly in relation to the BCC/WIPO Training Sessions. The evening concluded with a prolonged and happy gathering of all present and a toast to Adrian.