Intellectual Property

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY LAWYERS WATFORD

Intellectual property rights serve a vital function in the modern economy; making sure that the right people benefit from original work, ideas and creations.  Intellectual Property rights can be compared to physical property, such as a piece of land.  They are capable of being owned and transferred, and the right to do so is protected.  However, Intellectual Property lacks visibility and is ever-changing area of law, creating a complex web of hidden rights and confusion as to where you and your business stand under the law.

Failing to protect your rights or not understanding where you stand in relation to others has costly consequences: lost revenue, the loss of your business’s reputation (through piracy, for example) and potentially a day in court.

To make sure you are clear as to where you stand, you should consult an expert.  All our Intellectual Property solicitors are based in Watford.   They strive to deliver a tailored, professional service, getting you the results you want and value for money.  As we conduct business in Watford, we are in a unique position to understand the local business landscape and provide you with a convenient service delivered on your doorstep.

Examples of IP rights

  • Patents – give you a right to protect your inventions.
  • Copyrights – gives you a right to protect artistic works, including literary, musical, dramatic and purely artistic creations.
  • Trademarks – exist to protect symbols and ideas that are associated with your business in order to help you build a loyal customer base and build your brand.

Other common area of IP law:

  • Confidential information
  • Domain names
  • Database rights
  • Website law
  • Design rights
  • Data protection
  • Freedom of information

Making sure your work and business is protected

Do you suspect someone is unjustly profiting from your hard earned work?  Have you just come up with a genius invention and need a patent?  Whatever your situation, we deal with a wide range of Intellectual Property work.  Our services commonly include, but are by no means limited to:

  • Generally advising clients on IP protection
  • Drafting and negotiating:
    • Confidentiality agreements
    • Distribution, manufacturing, franchise, sponsorship and agency agreements
    • Assignments
    • co-existence agreements
    • Collaboration and Research agreements
  • Generally monitoring Intellectual Property theft and counterfeiting worldwide

E-commerce:

For a while the Internet was the new Wild West of business.  Whilst this is certainly true in some places, in the EU, businesses are subject to the law just like any other physical business.  The most important bit of legislation with regards to E-commerce in the UK is the Electronic Commerce (EC Directive) Regulations 2002.    Making sure that you follow these laws by consulting our Intellectual Property Solicitors is a sound investment, saving you time, lost revenue and potentially a damaged reputation.

Data protection

According to the Data Protection Act 1998, any business which engages in the storing of confidential and private information must adhere to certain rules.  Most businesses are involved in storing data, so make sure you are following the law.

To book an initial consultation with one of our IP lawyers in Watford or simply ask for a quote, get in touch and we will do all we can to help.

FAQs about:
Intellectual Property

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY FAQS - SOLICITORS WATFORD

Confidentiality Agreements

Confidentiality agreements are designed so that parties to an agreement agree to keep certain information disclosed to them all secret and confidential.

Confidentiality agreements are normally agreed between two or more parties during development stages of a business concept or idea. The parties are then able to discuss matters freely once the agreement has been signed.

The idea behind this type of agreement is that the creator of the idea or concept will be able to disclose it without fear of other parties reproducing or selling it, or disclosing it to a third party.

It may well be that one party wants to disclose confidential business data for the purposes of pitching for business or to enable a sale of that business. In both cases the dislcoser of the information will want to ensure that the information remains secure and is not exploited by the party to whom it was disclosed.

If this happens, the injured party can sue for breach of contract and may be entitled to damages if he can show loss. The injured party which owns the confidential information may also be able to go the court and seek an injunction to prevent the continued use of that information.

The Parties to a confidentiality agreement can be separated between ‘the disclosing party’ and ‘the receiving party.’

In order for this contractual relationship to be legally binding it is necessary to provide ‘consideration’. This can easily be done by the ‘receiving party’ paying the ‘disclosing party’ a nominal amount of £1.

The big problem with confidentiality agreements is actually enforcing the agreements. It can be very difficult and very costly to prove that information has been stolen or exploited. As a result of this many large businesses have been known to take advantage of inventors and still use the information despite the fact that a confidentiality agreement has been signed as they know most people do not have the stomach or the money to fight and fund expensive litigation. Many a large business has therefore gone onto using the inventions and creations of others without permission.

That said it is professional to get an agreement in place and if you need to rely on it and you can choose to do so. Without the agreement you will then not be in such a strong position.

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