Intellectual Property

 

Trade Mark Infringement: When is the public "Confused"
26 January 2015
Intellectual Property Disputes Leigh Ellis

The High Court recently considered a claim bought by Thomas Pink, a well-known quality shirt maker, against Victoria’s Secret’s UK operations, relating to the trade mark infringement case of Thomas Pink’s “PINK”.

How Are Database Rights Protected?
5 January 2015
Information Technology

Electronic databases are protected by database rights and copyright. These two types of protection have similarities in that protection is given as soon as the database is created. However, they differ in the extent of protection, for example how much of the database can be protected and how long it will be protected for.

Unregistered Trademark Protection - the Tort of Passing Off and Brand Protection
23 December 2014 Updated: 3 May 2015
Passing Off

One of the ways in which a holder of an unregistered trademark right can be protected is under the law of passing off. There are three main criteria which needs to be established before one of the remedies available under passing off is given.

A Quick Guide to Protecting Design Rights by Registration
10 December 2014
Designs Law

It is essential for designs to be registered so that they can be protected under intellectual property law. To gain as much protection as possible, one must apply for their design to be registered not only in the UK, but internationally. One way is by filing an application for a Registered Community Design.

Top Considerations for Intellectual Property Licenses
2 December 2014 Updated: 23 March 2015
Terms of Contracts

There are many considerations to be made when businesses intend on entering negotiations for an intellectual property license.

Infringement of Trademarks - Preventing the Use of Similar Marks
17 November 2014
Trade Mark Law Leigh Ellis

Trade mark infringement can be proved when a business uses similar or identical designs to designs which are already registered trademarks.

The Second Hand Software Market and Developing Market Opportunities
10 November 2014
Commercial & Business Law

Following a decision in 2012, the second-hand software market is developing. This is at odds with the wishes of software houses, because sales of second hand software means less sales of new software.

The Widening Girth of Legal Protection for Confidential Information
19 August 2014
Confidential Information & Trade Secrets Disputes

The general law of confidential information provides legal recourse against those who disclose secrets to others in confidence and where the recipient subsequently divulges that information to someone else.  It also extends to companies which have in turn been passed the information by the original confidant, and applies in relation to trade secrets, sensitive commercial information and all forms of intellectual property rights.

Parallel Imports after Oracle America
7 May 2014
Intellectual Property Disputes

The case of Oracle America is applicable where businesses have been found to import goods from different jurisdictions for the purpose of reselling them within the European Union. The case concerned a computer hardware supplier who purchased disk drives from a computer system manufacturer for the purpose of importing them. The decision in this case set a precedent regarding parallel imports.

What are the Benefits of Intellectual Property Licensing
24 March 2014
Software Leigh Ellis

Intellectual property licensing enables use of intellectual property to be lawful; without a license, use will be an infringement of the owner’s rights. Provisions in an intellectual property license can be negotiated to agree the scope of the licence and duration, amongst other terms. We discuss the benefits of applying for a license to both owners and users of intellectual property and what disadvantages may arise.

Cybercrime, Fraud and the risk to Small and Medium sized Businesses
9 January 2014
Fraud David Wheeler

Small and medium sized businesses face a greater risk of cybercrime and online fraud than larger enterprises. In this article, we discuss why smaller businesses are being targeted, how cyberattacks can be avoided using effective monitoring and the steps that should be taken if you discover that your business is at risk.

Quick Guide to the Intellectual Property Enterprise Court
14 October 2013 Updated: 23 March 2015
Litigation & Disputes Leigh Ellis

In this quick guide to the Intellectual Property Enterprise Court, we discuss some of the distinctive characteristics of the specialist Court and why many small and medium sized businesses can benefit from the streamlined procedure and financial limitations imposed to assert and enforce IP claims.