Kim Barker LLB (Hons), Pro Dip LP, LLM

'Intellectual Property and On-line Gaming' (Aberystwyth University 2008). This paper examined the relationship between intellectual property and on-line gaming, scrutinising some of the key domestic cases, including Nova Games Ltd  v Mazooma Games Ltd. This work determined that whilst intellectual property was relied upon to protect developers interests, it was far from ideal. 

'The UK Supreme Court: Façade or Reincarnation' (Nottingham Law School 2010). This paper examined the impact of the changes made to the highest domestic court of appeal in the UK in light of the Constitutional Reform Act 2005, comparing the UK court to the most prominent supreme court in the world; the US Supreme Court. This paper also included comparisons of court rules and practice, concluding that the new Supreme Court was indeed different to its predecessor; the House of Lords. 

'Copyright and On-line Games.' This work examines in detail, the complex inter-relationship between copyright and contract law that governs the world of on-line games. This research is also concerned with software copyright given that online games are software, rather than hardware, and seeks to determine whether there is an alternative to copyright and contract, and how the two systems can be reconciled to be more reflective of the interests of all parties involved in the gaming environment. This includes detailed consideration of the current intellectual property regime, specifically copyright because computer software is protected by copyright as a literary work. In addition to this, due examination is made of the relationship between copyright and contract in End User License Agreements required by game developers before a user can access a particular online game or virtual world. In addition to this, there are wider questions involved in this research that focus on the regulation of online environments and cyberspace more generally. 

Kim is currently a  fellow with the School of Law at the University of Birmingham, teaching the Law of Contract, Equity and Trusts, and a specialist LLM Module; Intellectual Property. Kim is currently the Director of the Law with Business Programme at the School of Law.  

Kim has worked as a tutor in the Department of Law & Criminology at Aberystwyth University, teaching a range of modules at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. In addition to this, Kim has been seconded as an individual tutor, working with students having specific support requirements. 

Kim has also recently been teaching online masters programmes with the University of Liverpool, focussing on teaching in the field of Commercial Contracting, Internet Law and Copyright. Kim has also recently completed consultancy work for BILETA on the Intellectual Property Consultation relating to Copyright Exceptions, focussing specifically on Parody and Pastiche.

Kim is also a member of the Editorial Board of the Journal, SCRIPTed.