Intellectual Property (IP) Solicitors

What is Intellectual Property Law?

Intellectual property law protects names of brands, products or services, product designs, written or spoken words, inventions, and other physical creations. There are several types of protection available: patents protect inventions, copyrights protect written and recorded works, and trade marks protect unique brand identifiers. While some protections like copyright apply automatically upon creation, others such as trade marks must be registered with the Intellectual Property Office.

Patents are specifically used to protect inventions that can be made or used, and must be truly inventive rather than just modifications of existing items. Trade marks must be unique combinations of words, colours, sounds, or logos, and cannot include offensive content, descriptive content, or three-dimensional shapes. Designs in intellectual property law refer to a product's appearance, decoration, shape, and configuration.

It's important to note that ideas themselves cannot be protected under intellectual property law - only their physical manifestation can be protected. For example, while you cannot protect an idea for a book, the written words of that book are automatically protected under copyright law once created.

Intellectual Property Law Solicitors

Due to the complex and time-consuming nature of intellectual property registration processes, particularly for patents which can take up to 5 years and cost around £4,000, professional legal assistance can be invaluable. Intellectual property solicitors offer several key services:

• Help determine which type of intellectual property protection is most appropriate for your needs
• Conduct or arrange searches of relevant registries to ensure uniqueness
• Liaise with existing trade mark or design holders to obtain necessary permissions
• Assist with application preparation and gathering supporting documentation
• Provide guidance if applications are rejected, helping decide whether to appeal, modify the intellectual property, or halt the process
• Represent clients at hearings when appealing rejected applications
• Guide clients through the patent application process, which is particularly complex and requires extensive documentation

Their expertise helps ensure applications meet all legal requirements and have the best chance of success, potentially saving time and money in the long run by avoiding common pitfalls in the registration process.