The arrival of UCL East, the London College of Fashion and the V&A's East Bank buildings beside the Olympic Park has given Newham something it never had before: an intellectual property economy. Every fashion graduate leaving Stratford carries a portfolio of designs that are protected automatically but only for a limited time, a label that ought to be registered as a trade mark before the first order, and a stack of agreements with manufacturers and collaborators that decide who owns what. Every research group at UCL East produces inventions that need a patent application before they are published and licences before they can be commercialised. Intellectual property solicitors in Newham are starting to build practices around both.
The borough's older businesses have intellectual property too. Green Street's jewellers, sari shops, sweet shops and restaurants trade on names and reputations built over decades, and when a rival opens a few doors down with a near-identical sign the remedy is a passing off claim or, if the name was registered, a trade mark action. The exhibitions at ExCeL bring exhibitors from around the world and, with them, counterfeit and look-alike goods that rights holders need removed from a stand within hours. Event organisers, venues and the airport's suppliers negotiate licences, sponsorship deals and confidentiality agreements as a matter of routine.
Most disputes end with a letter before action or a negotiated licence. Those that do not can go to the Intellectual Property Enterprise Court, which handles smaller claims with capped costs and damages of up to £500,000. Expect fixed fees for trade mark and design registrations and standard agreements, and hourly rates for disputes.
Firms offering intellectual property advice in Newham are listed below, verified firms first. See what intellectual property law covers and the general IP solicitors page, the wider intellectual property solicitors in London listing, and for company questions business law solicitors in Newham.
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