Intellectual Property

Your IP protection and enforcement strategy should be as sophisticated as and align with any other strategic consideration in your business; it should not only protect your IP assets effectively, but also be future proof and commercially sound.

We pride ourselves on giving practical, no-nonsense advice in relation to all elements of intellectual property – trade marks, copyright, design rights, registered design, patents, confidential and trade secrets – and are dedicated to helping clients achieve a watertight IP strategy.

Our specialist in-house trade mark team are well-equipped to service clients’ national and international trade mark and registered design portfolios.

Key intellectual property services

Managing your intellectual property

• IP audit
• IP strategy
• Business objectives and financial budgeting
• IP corporate governance
• Buying and selling IP assets
• Trade mark and registered design portfolios
• Exploiting your intellectual property
• Protecting your brand name or trade mark
• Copyright
• Database right and data protection
• Confidentiality
• Registered and unregistered design right
• Expanding into a new territory
• Licensing your IP or obtaining an IP licence
• Employees and IP ownership issues
• IT and technology agreements

Defending your intellectual property

• If you think a third party is using your IP
• If you have received a ‘cease and desist’ letter
• Negotiating co-existence agreements
• Settling IP disputes
• Trade mark opposition proceedings
• Trade mark invalidity proceedings
• Licensing your IP or obtaining an IP licence

Examples of intellectual property cases

• Settlement of a partnership dispute concerning ownership of IP.  The client had been threatened with having to stop use of the partnership IP- we negotiated a settlement in our client’s favour enabling her to continue to use the IP she had created and continue the business in the future. 
• Licensing client software to the military. The client had been presented with a huge contract and was struggling to wade through it and understand it.  We walked the client through the obligations and liabilities and successfully negotiated various amendments which restricted our client’s liability to an appropriate level and ensured that all IP rights were retained by our client thereby allowing the client to licence the software to other customers.
• Settling a patent dispute for a client – the client’s former co-director had forced him out of the business and was continuing to use his patented products without any recompense. We successfully negotiated a settlement, purchase of our client’s shares for value and put in place a proper licence agreement, recouping significant backdated royalties and ongoing royalty payments for many years to come. 
• Management of the client’s global trade mark portfolio – we liaise with international agents on our client’s behalf, keep on top of the renewal dates, deal with international oppositions and file new trade marks.

How we work with you

Whilst based in the South of England, Paris Smith acts for businesses and families throughout the UK. Technology has enabled us to provide a high level of service to our clients whether they are local to our offices or not. Our advice can be given in many ways:

• Over the telephone
• Via video conferencing
• In face to face meetings

We will talk through how you would like to be contacted and the best ways for us to meet in our early conversations with you.

Meet the team

Our Intellectual Property team is made up of 2 partners, 1 associate and 1 administrative assistant. You can find contact details for them below.