Intellectual Property & Technology
Introduction
There's a huge importance placed on brand, and businesses will go to great lengths both to exploit and protect their reputations. But it's not just brand. Creative output, technical innovation, trade secrets and designs all hold significant value. Ashfords have a strong and experienced team of Intellectual Property and Technology experts. We know how to protect, defend and help you exploit your IP assets. You will always receive commercially sound advice. We speak plainly. We deliver commonsense as well as technical expertise. Our skills apply to a wide range of industries, including the pharmaceutical, medical and veterinary industries, the energy sector, the IT industry, publishing and music, consumer products, clothing, sports, food & drink, marketing and advertising. We have extensive experience of working on the Intellectual Property and Technology issues faced by public sector bodies. We regularly work on protecting and exploiting IP rights overseas.
The approach of Ashfords' Intellectual Property and Technology team is straightforward: "Our clients' interests, are our interests".
This runs though everything we do.
Our Services
- IP Transactions
Buying and Selling Technology and IP Rich Businesses | Transferring the Ownership of IP Rights | Technology Transfers | Negotiating IP Warranties and Indemnities | Managing "Fair Disclosure" exercises against IP Warranties | Limiting Seller's Liability in relation to IP Rights | Recording responsibilities to enforce IP Rights | Preparing Appropriate Confidentiality and Non-Disclosure Agreements | Copyright Licences | Design Licences | Know-How Licences | Patent Licences | Trademark Licences | Granting or Securing Licences of Mixed IP rights | Manufacturing Licences and Distribution Agreements | UK and EU Competition Law Compliance | Arranging advice on US and Overseas Anti-trust Legislation | Technology Export Control | Technology Joint Ventures in the (Europe UK USA and Asia) contractual or corporate | Access to Asian and South East Asian IP (enforcement and protection) services | Negotiating the ownership and use of rights arising from R & D | R & D agreements (private sector and commercial) | Clinical Trials | Product Trials | Collaboration agreements (between academics and between academic institutions) | Establishing Spin Out Companies | Private sector/public sector collaborations and partnering agreements | Technology Projects | System "turn key" agreements | Grants and funding arrangements | Publishing agreements (all media) | Author's Agreements | Celebrity Endorsement Agreements | Exploitation of Image Rights | Sponsorship Agreements | Advertising and Merchandising Agreements (all media) | Waivers of Moral and Performers' Rights | Filming Agreements | Commissioning Agreements for Creative Works (all kinds) | Database Access Agreements | Franchise Agreements | IPR Options | First Look and Evaluation Agreements | Pre-emption Rights | Assignments and Novations of IP Contracts | IP as security for lending | Tax structures for IP rights
....................................................................................................................................................................
- IP Litigation and Disputes
Trade mark infringement and validity disputes | Passing off disputes | Copyright and database right infringement | Registered design and unregistered design infringement and validity disputes | Patent infringement and validity disputes | Breach of confidential information and trade secrets disputes | Licensing disputes | Breach of contract disputes involving IP rights | Moral rights disputes
....................................................................................................................................................................
- Brands and Trade Marks
Trade mark clearance searches | Registering trade marks and domain names in the UK and overseas | Watching services | Conduct of trade mark oppositions, revocation and invalidity proceedings | Trade mark, domain name and passing off disputes, including litigation | Sale, purchase and licensing of brands | Legal aspects of merchandising, advertising, public relations, distribution and franchising arrangements and similar programs
....................................................................................................................................................................
- Protecting Designs
Advising on the patentability of inventions | Assisting with the obtaining of patent protection on a worldwide basis | Conducting 'freedom-to-operate' and IP rights clearance searches | Protecting trade secrets and business sensitive information via NDAs and confidentiality agreements | Filing and prosecuting registered designs to protect the visual appearance and design of articles | Conducting registered design invalidity proceedings
....................................................................................................................................................................
- IP Audits & Valuations
Identifying intellectual property rights | Minimising the risk of infringing third party rights | Arranging expert valuation advice | Assisting clients in deciding whether to purchase, sell or licence particular intellectual property rights and enabling clients to ascertain exactly how they can best protect and exploit those rights in order to generate revenue, create opportunities, or reduce risk for their businesses | Proving ownership of rights | Tax issues surrounding IP ownership
....................................................................................................................................................................
- Information Technology
Services and projects: systems supply, integration and management, strategic outsourcing, managed, hosting and support services | Networks: network design, build, implementation and management | Software development, licensing and services: bespoke software development, escrow agreements, software support, end-user license terms, open source licensing, software license audits, beta testing | E-business: website design and development, content licensing, linking agreements, website terms, privacy policies | IT hardware and components: agreements for the design, development, procurement and contract manufacture of IT products and components (such as PCBs and ASICs) and the plant used to manufacture them
....................................................................................................................................................................
- Data Protection
Data Protection advice generally | Subject access requests | Data protection audits | Security and ISO advice
WHAT OTHERS SAY ABOUT US
"I haven't found anyone better outside of London" is one client's appraisal
Legal 500, 2007 Edition
This group of lawyers "really know what they are doing"
Research Quote from the Chambers Guide to the Legal Profession 2006
"definitely a team to watch"
Legal 500, 2006 Edition
