A television format is one of the hardest things in intellectual property to own. The idea of a quiz, a dating show or a talent contest is not protected by copyright; only its expression is, and the production companies clustered around White City and Shepherd's Bush learned long ago to protect formats with detailed bibles, confidentiality agreements and trade marks for the title. Intellectual property solicitors in Hammersmith and Fulham grew up with that industry. They draft the chain-of-title documents that let a programme be sold abroad, the agreements that settle who owns a presenter's catchphrase, the licences for music and archive footage, and the option agreements that turn a book into a series.
White City's newer tenants have added patents to the mix. Imperial College's campus there, with its spin-outs and the companies that have gathered around them, generates inventions in medicine, materials and software that need patent attorneys, licensing agreements and investor-ready ownership of everything the founders created. Further south the trade is design: the interior designers and showrooms of the New King's Road and the Design Centre at Chelsea Harbour, which is on the Fulham side of the border, protect fabrics, furniture and patterns through registered and unregistered design right, and chase copies.
Football is the third strand. Three clubs in one borough mean counterfeit shirts and scarves on match days outside Craven Cottage, Stamford Bridge and Loftus Road, and the clubs' trade marks, image rights and sponsorship deals keep solicitors busy all season. Westfield's retailers face the same counterfeiting problem online.
Infringement is usually resolved by letter; if not, the Intellectual Property Enterprise Court in the Rolls Building caps costs and limits damages to £500,000, keeping smaller claims proportionate. Registrations and standard agreements are fixed-fee; disputes are hourly.
IP firms serving Hammersmith and Fulham are listed below, verified first. See the explainer on intellectual property law, the general IP solicitors page and, for investment and company matters, business law solicitors in Hammersmith and Fulham.
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