Intellectual Property

GMC can help your business identify, secure and deal with your IP

’Intellectual Property Rights” or “IP” has become one of the most valuable and critical assets of any business. It is therefore crucial for businesses to identify all of its IP to ensure each IP asset has the full protection available under intellectual property law. This approach helps to prevent, or if necessary manage, IP infringement or IP theft.

GMC can assist with identifying Intellectual Property Rights and managing intellectual property applications for the various kinds of Intellectual Property Rights.

GMC can provide advice and assistance on all aspects of IP Law and IP matters such as intellectual property infringement or intellectual property Brexit implications.

Ensuring your business IP is fully protected also facilitates dealing with the IP assets of the business.

GMC can assist with the licensing and/or sale of IP through the drafting, negotiation and settlement of Intellectual Property Agreements.

GMC has over twenty years of experience in advising on and assisting with the conclusion of Intellectual Property  Agreements and other IP matters.

GMC can use this valuable experience to help resolve your IP matters and queries.

For a free initial 30 minute consultation on any IP matter or query your business may have, please click on the word “Contact” at the bottom of this page and  complete the contact form to arrange an appointment or a call.

Intellectual Property Services.

Patents

Patents are rights granted in respect of an invention or other technical improvement. Patents are applied for and are usually issued by a state or regional Patent Office. Patent applications are examined by the relevant patent office. The application process usually involves public disclosure of the invention. If granted, a patent can provide exclusive rights to exploit the patent for a period of up to twenty years.

When applying for a patent it is important to get the right patent agent. GMC can assist with engaging the best patent agent for the job and can assist and advise on all post grant matters such as Intellectual Property Advice concerning the patent of Intellectual Property Agreements concerning the patent.

Copyright

Copyright is a right to prevent copying of literary and artistic works. It arises automatically once the relevant work is recorded in some permanent form. It protects the creations of authors, artists, composers and software engineers.

GMC has very extensive experience of advising on Intellectual Property Law applying to copyright and can assist with Intellectual Property Agreements concerning copyright such as Intellectual Property licences.

Industrial Designs

Design rights fall into two broad categories. These are registered designs and the unregistered design right introduced in the UK in 1988. Registered design rights protect the design for a product, its appearance, lines, contours, shape, texture or materials, or its ornamentation. Types of products covered include any industrial or handicraft items as well as packaging, get up and parts for a more complex product. This type of protection is available under UK law for a maximum of five periods each of five years. This results in a maximum of twenty five years protection.

Unregistered design rights within the UK are either the European Union Unregistered Design Right, which is less extensive, and for a shorter three year period, or the UK Unregistered Design Right, which may only exist where artistic copyright in industrial production of shaped articles is not available. The UK Unregistered Design Right can exist alongside a Registered Design Right taken out in respect of the same article.

Trademarks and Trade Names

Trademarks are a form of legal protection for the goodwill and reputation of a business or a brand. Trademarks and logos are a means by which consumers can distinguish between competing goods and services. Registered trademarks are the strongest form of protection for a trade name, a  logo or a brand. 

Gordon MacRae & Co can deal with UK, European and international registrations. Gordon MacRae & Co can assist with all other matters concerning trademarks. Please see our Services section for further details of our trademark services.

Please do not hesitate to send in your query by clicking on the word “Contact” at the bottom of this page and completing the contact form and/or simply call us for a free initial discussion of up to half an hour of any query you may have on this kind of Intellectual Property Right.

Plant Breeders Rights & Biotechnology

Plant Variety Rights exist at both a European Union level and under UK law. They are used to protect the identification of special varieties of plant. Patent protection may also be available for some technical developments for plant or animal varieties.