Copyright and Design rights both seek to protect creative work. We have a comprehensive understanding of not only copyright and design law, but the interconnected commercial issues between them. Having worked with a wide variety of technology and media companies, we have practical experience in advising our clients on both copyright and design rights, including how each fits into a client’s wider intellectual property strategy.
Copyright & Design
- Creating a plan for a client’s intellectual property strategy, including securing protection and ownership.
- Arranging EU and UK design registrations.
- Intellectual property licensing.
- Business intellectual property audit.
- Management and transfer of intellectual property ownership.
- Defending the infringement of copyright and design rights.
- We advised an international technology client in a case involving complications arising after its acquisition of software assets. This involved pursuing a US competitor, who had engaged our client’s ex-consultant and reproduced and adapted or client’s software. We defended cross-copyright and database infringement allegations and prepared relevant commercial IP agreements, which secures our client’s ultimate commercial objective, whilst working closely with US attorneys.
- We have advised clients from a wide range of industries on the protection available for their products. This includes software, technology, furniture and consumer products.
- We have assisted clients to put in place systems and policies that safeguard ownership and development records.
- We have arranged design registrations in the UK and EU for clients in a broad range of sectors.
- We have defended design rights infringement allegations in relation to flooring products.
Branding & Trademarks
Brands and trade marks are valuable assets in their own rights. Product life-cycles of businesses may be shortening with modern, fast-moving technologies, but brand reputation builds on the success of products and marketing activities; over time the brand speaks for itself, imbuing customer confidence and taking on substantial value of its own.
Our depth and breadth of experience enables us to adapt our advice to suit the different needs of our wide range of clients, from international well-known businesses to start-ups. We cover advice from initial feasibility guidance, we put in place protection, brand strategy and set up and maintain a global program to help our clients exploit those rights commercially, for example via IP Licensing.
- Registrability advice and devising registration strategies.
- Clearance.
- Trade mark portfolio management and renewals.
- Opposition and cancellation actions.
- Issuing and defending trade mark infringement actions.
- Watching services.
- Co-existence and Settlement Agreements
- Setting up, growing and managing the global trade mark portfolio of many clients across a diverse range of sectors.
- Preparing brand licensing and merchandise agreements relating to well-known Hollywood animated characters and designer eye-wear.
- Advising a range of clients across diverse fields including in the energy, business consultancy, e-platform and clinical research sectors in defending against third-party threats of opposition/infringement and negotiating settlement agreements that protect their interests.
Patents & Know-how
Our experience and understanding of businesses enables us to understand and deliver the objective of our clients – whether strategic advice, taking steps to secure protection for patents and trade secrets or aiming for “first-mover” advantage, either to pursue infringers or to defend infringement allegations.
- R&D and collaboration.
- Technology transfer and licensing.
- Patent and know-how infringement, enforcement and defence.
- IP audits.
- Strategic IP advice, patentability.
- Infringement and validity opinions.
- Patentability advice for a wide range of clients from start-ups to mature business and from electrical equipment to medical devices and block-chain-enabled technologies.
- Patent cross-licence and supply agreements involving international banks relating to security features for use in bank notes across the EU.
- Defending patent infringement allegations relating to vehicle hire schemes and food technology, including negotiating complex settlement agreements.
Glaisyers ETL expertise delivered straight to you.
Whether you are starting up or already fully established, our experienced team will deliver the best outcome for you.
Sara Shulman, Solicitor.
David Jones, Executive Partner.
Glaisyers ETL | London
Pinners Hall
105-108 Old Broad St
London EC2N 1ER
Call: +44 (0)20 7842 8000
Email: entertainment@glaisyers.com
Glaisyers ETL | Manchester
3 Hardman St
Manchester M3 3HF
Call: +44 (0)161 832 4666
Email: entertainment@glaisyers.com
