Now in her 90s, Cambridge resident Lovedy hailed from Dorset and her life took on an Antipodean aspect when she married Bill Cornish, who had grown up in Adelaide, South Australia. At Cambridge Bill was the first holder of the Herchel Smith Chair in Intellectual Property Law and at one time served as President of Magdalene College. Something of a celebrity in the IP law world, he left an indelible mark on many students and colleagues at both College and University.

Bill died early in 2022, and a year later Professor Lionel Bently established the Bill Cornish Memorial Fund to benefit postgraduate students in IP law.

Lovedy gave generously to the Bill Cornish Memorial Fund in memory of her late husband, bringing the total raised for the Fund to over £100k and allowing the Fund to be endowed and Bill’s legacy to continue indefinitely. Lovedy was thrilled, remarking that, ‘It is what Bill would have loved to see happen with his money beyond his lifetime.’

The inaugural Bill Cornish Scholar, Zihan Ni (Robinson 2024), has begun a PhD on the subject of ‘Reforming the Anglo-American pharmaceutical patent law in the age of AI.’ We caught up with Lovedy and Zihan at Lovedy’s Cambridge home recently for their first meeting and some lively conversation, with Bill’s presence very much felt throughout....

"Receiving the Bill Cornish Scholarship is both an honour and a profound encouragement for my academic aspirations! I am truly grateful for this opportunity, and it was my great pleasure to meet Mrs Cornish and express my sincerest thanks."

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