IP Transactions

Ashfords' Intellectual Property and Technology Team handle transactions of all kinds for clients who wish to buy, sell, invest in or exploit intellectual property (IP) rights. We prepare water tight agreements on a day to day basis for clients of all types and sizes. Deals range in value from many millions to those which simply have great strategic importance to our clients. Our overriding objective is to use our experience, skill and knowledge to place our clients in the safest, most cost effective and productive position possible.

Work handled includes:

• buying and selling technology and IP rich businesses;
• transferring ownership of IP rights;
• technology transfers;
• IP due diligence;
• non-disclosure agreements;
• IP licences;
• technology joint ventures (Europe, UK, USA and Asia); contractual or corporate;
• R & D agreements (private sector and commercial);
• collaboration agreements (between academics and between academic institutions);
• establishing spin out companies;
• private sector/public sector collaborations and partnering agreements;
• publishing agreements (all media);
• author agreements;
• celebrity endorsement agreements;
• exploitation of image rights;
• sponsorship agreements;
• advertising agreements (all media);
• merchandising agreements;
• franchise agreements;
• waivers of moral and performers' rights;
• options over IP;
• first look and evaluation agreements;
• pre-emption rights;
• assignments and novations of IP contracts;
• IP as security for lending;
• tax structures for IP rights;
• commissioning agreements for creative works (all kinds); and
  
• database access agreements.

Recent work undertaken includes:

• technology transfer and establishment of US joint venture of novel drilling technologies for use in sub prime oilfield environments;
• acquisition of geomechanical oilfield modelling business servicing the global oil production market;
• establishing a US based joint venture to produce and market renewable energy biofuels;
• establishing a Swiss based R and D Group for a manufacturing business;
• recovering and documenting ownership of IP rights for UK building systems designer; and
• establishing a long term collaborative partnership with a funding organisation in the Life Sciences sector for a UK University.