Graphene was isolated at the University of Manchester, Factory Records and the Haçienda made the city's music a global export, and two of Britain's biggest online fashion retailers grew up here. Intellectual property runs through Manchester's economy, and the city's IP solicitors deal with everything from a start-up's first trade mark to multimillion-pound patent licences.
The questions arrive in recognisable forms. A Northern Quarter clothing label finds its name on someone else's products; a software developer in Ancoats needs licences and contributor agreements before taking investment; a MediaCityUK production company has to clear rights in music, footage and formats; a manufacturer in Trafford Park wants to protect a new process before a trade show. An IP solicitor identifies which rights apply, registers trade marks and designs with the UK Intellectual Property Office, drafts licences, assignments and non-disclosure agreements, and acts when rights are infringed.
Manchester is unusual outside London in having its own specialist court. The Business and Property Courts in Manchester, housed in the Civil Justice Centre, include an intellectual property list, and the Intellectual Property Enterprise Court's streamlined procedure, with costs capped and damages limited to £500,000, keeps smaller disputes affordable. Most matters settle after a letter before action or a negotiated licence rather than at trial.
For patents and complex trade mark filings, solicitors usually work alongside patent and trade mark attorneys, with the solicitor handling contracts, disputes and litigation. Expect fixed fees for registrations and standard agreements and hourly rates for disputes.
The firms below offer intellectual property services within 20 miles of Manchester city centre, verified firms first. Read what intellectual property law covers and our guide to IP solicitors, or see business law solicitors in Manchester for company and contract work.
