IP Audits and Valuations
Ashfords' Intellectual Property and Technology Team can help you to understand what intellectual property (IP) you own, how well it is protected, what risks you face from using it and what it is worth. This is a vitally important aspect of running any modern business.
Our solicitors assist clients when buying, selling or investing in a business to accurately identify the IP owned and used by the business, as this can have often a major impact on the value of the business, particularly if the business is infringing third party owned IP rights.
Work handled includes:
- identifying what IP rights a client uses and who owns them;
- assisting clients to minimise the risk of infringing third party IP rights;
- conducting 'freedom-to-operate' and clearance searches and producing written opinions;
- arranging expert IP valuation advice;
- assisting clients in deciding whether to purchase, sell or licence particular IP rights, including investigating and assessing the ownership, strength, weakness and validity of IP portfolios;
- informing clients as to how they can best protect and exploit their IP rights, in order to generate revenue, create new business opportunities and reduce business risk;
- proving ownership of IP rights;
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tax issues surrounding IP ownership and Research and Development;
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producing IP reports required for investors and stock market listings; and
- assisting clients to put in place appropriate internal 'best practice' staff policies and procedures to ensure that inventions and IP rights are identified, owned by the client and not disclosed until they are legally protected.
- IP audit for the MBO team of a major UK plastic packaging manufacturer;
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due diligence on a proposed acquisition of a biometric document printing business;
- vendor due diligence on the group reconstruction and hive off of an engineering business; and
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vendor due diligence on the sale of an IP rich software development company.
