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Intellectual Property

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CONTENTS

Key intellectual property services
Defending your intellectual property
Examples of intellectual property cases

Services

Your innovative ideas need expert protection. Whether you are a start-up business growing, or you are a large multinational, protecting your intellectual property effectively means protecting your profit and shareholder value.

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’ve helped our clients

“We use Paris Smith for a wide range of legal advice and support. Laura has played a key role in the decision making process of the company by providing us with the benefit of her knowledge and experience in the specialised areas of trademarks, patents and intellectual property. Her advice has always been relevant, swift and concise. Advising non-specialists is a skill in its own right and Laura is able to explain the implications and opportunities arising from the request rather than just delivering us the results. ”

Nick Lake, FD – Barfoots of Botley

Legal 500 – 2022 Edition

Operating from Southampton, Paris Smith LLP works with SMEs to develop IP audit strategies, in addition to managing a number of international trade mark portfolios. Laura Trapnell leads the team and stands out for her expertise in the food and drink marker, representing a number of companies from the sector on trade mark registration and licensing. Helen Brown acts in IP disputes as part of a broad commercial litigation practice.

Sources say:

“In depth understanding of intellectual property and pragmatic approach to IP protection”
“Ability to communicate in terms early stage businesses readily understand. Particularly commend Laura Trapnell who has been outstanding”