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11 Queen Mary J. Intell. Prop. 1 (2021)

handle is hein.journals/qmjip11 and id is 1 raw text is: Queen Mary Journal of Intellectual Property, Vol. 11 No. 1, pp. 1

JAL Sterling - In Memoriam
17 April 1927-29 November 2020
Of Middle Temple, Honorary Member, BLACA, Consultant to Lamb Chambers, Professorial
Fellow, Queen Mary Intellectual Property Research Institute, Queen Mary University of
London
John Adrian Lawrence Sterling was a colossal figure in the advocacy and teaching of
copyright law and policy. Having read law at the University of Sydney, Adrian was
admitted to the Bar of New South Wales in 1949, and thereafter to the English Bar
(Middle Temple) in 1953. He commenced his copyright journey by joining the
International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), London, as Assistant to
the Director-General. Eventually working his way to become the Deputy Director-
General of IFPI, Adrian's work would entail making representations on copyright
and related rights to Governments and NGOs throughout the world, including attending
landmark copyright Conferences ranging from the Rome Convention (1961) to the
WIPO Internet Treaties (1996). After stepping down from the IFPI in 1973, Adrian
began the second major stage in his journey, namely resuming practice both in
Sydney and in London, specializing in national and international copyright law and
data, and of course publishing - including some of the earliest discourses on performing
rights and sound recordings. The third stage, and perhaps what he enjoyed most, was
when he became a copyright teacher at the age of 65 years. He was appointed first to
Queen Mary University of London and then subsequently also to King's College,
London. By the time he retired, he had been elected as Vice-President of the British
Copyright Council, as Honorary Member to the British Literary & Artistic Copyright
Association (ALAI-UK), and appointed as Emeritus Vice President of the British
Copyright Council. He had published six books, including the iconic Sterling on
World Copyright Law, several articles and studies and given over a hundred lectures
and conference addresses. Adrian was proficient in French, German and Italian, which
was used to much effect not only for exploring the national laws of many jurisdictions,
but also to explore his love for music, literature and medieval iconography.
His main legacy is the generations of academics, students and practitioners, who
were imbued with his unique expertise and his unwavering enthusiasm for copyright.
He was unabashedly dedicated to his students and helped many of them to become
established and recognized professionals in their fields. In return there is so much
affection for him around the world. Legendary were the Hampstead Heath walks
with both Adrian and Caroline which took in Lord Mansfield and John Keats, as
well as the summer picnics for students and faculty in Ladbroke Square. He was
undoubtedly a mentor and a father figure to many people.
Professor Sterling's CCLS colleagues at Queen Mary, University of London,
December, 2020
© 2021 The Author                     Journal compilation © 2021 Edward Elgar Publishing Ltd
The Lypiatts, 15 Lansdown Road, Cheltenham, Glos GL50 2JA, UK
and The William Pratt House, 9 Dewey Court, Northampton MA 01060-3815, USA

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