Kodak made photographic film in Wealdstone for more than a century, and the factory's patents, processes and trade secrets were once among the most valuable intellectual property in Britain. The factory is gone, but Harrow still produces more intellectual property than its suburban appearance suggests. The University of Westminster's Harrow campus trains film-makers, photographers, musicians, designers and journalists, many of whom start businesses in the borough and need to understand who owns the work they create for clients. Asian food brands, restaurants, jewellers and fashion retailers in Kenton, Rayners Lane and Harrow town centre live on their names and designs. Software developers, pharmacies with their own product lines and small manufacturers in Wealdstone's industrial units add patents, confidentiality agreements and licensing.
Intellectual property solicitors in Harrow start by identifying the rights. A name or logo is protected by a registered trade mark, obtained from the Intellectual Property Office; written, musical, photographic and software work is protected by copyright, which arises automatically but needs evidence; the look of a product is protected by registered or unregistered design right; and an invention by a patent, for which a patent attorney usually does the drafting while the solicitor handles contracts and disputes. Freelancers and agencies should know that, without a written assignment, the creator keeps the copyright in commissioned work.
Enforcement is mostly correspondence. A letter before action stops most copying, whether a restaurant trading under a rival's name or an online seller using someone else's photographs. Cases that do not settle go to the Intellectual Property Enterprise Court in central London, with capped costs and damages limited to £500,000.
Registrations and standard agreements tend to be priced as fixed fees, with disputes on hourly rates.
Below are the intellectual property firms near Harrow, verified firms first. Read about the different intellectual property rights in our explainer and about IP solicitors in general; the London IP page lists specialist firms, and company matters belong with business law solicitors in Harrow.
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