Biography
Chris is a Solicitor in the Commercial and Intellectual Property Team, specialising in both contentious and non-contentious intellectual property matters.
Chris assists client in both contentious and non-contentious commercial and intellectual property matters including copyright, designs, trade mark law and the law relating to passing off.
On the contentious side, Chris has advised clients on a range of commercial disputes from breach of contract to infringement of intellectual property rights. Chris has experience from smaller disputes in the Small Claims Court to large disputes in the High Court and also multi-jurisdictional intellectual property disputes.
With regards to his non-contentious work, Chris often assists clients in commercialising their intellectual property via assignments and licence arrangements.
Chris also has experience in all aspects of UK, EU and International (WIPO) trade mark filings, prosecutions, portfolio management and oppositions including dealing with the UKIPO, EUIPO and foreign against in the management of clients' worldwide trade mark portfolios.
Chris' clients often trade in various commercial sectors including the luxury brands/goods sectors as well as the food and drink sector.
Relevant experience
- Equisafety Ltd -v- Woof Wear Limited – successfully acting for Defendant against allegations of copyright infringement for equestrian hi-vis products. We successfully argued that the products in question were not ‘works of artistic craftsmanship’ under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
- Private companies – acting for Defendants in High Court litigation for allegations of trade mark infringement and breach of contract.
- Shazam Productions Limited -v- Only Fools The Dining Experience Ltd and Ors – assisted in acting for the Claimant, Shazam Productions Limited (owner of the copyright in the scripts for Only Fools & Horses), in a claim for copyright infringement and passing off against the creators of the ‘Only Fools (Cushty) Dining Experience’. The case set precedent law as it was the first time in the English and Welsh Courts that a character (Del Boy) was determined to be a protected by copyright.
- Private wine distributor - acting for a private wine distributor in a multi-jurisdictional trade mark dispute over their house name.
- Private and corporate clients – assisting in drafting cease and desist letters for copyright and trade mark infringement for clients in various sectors, ranging from the entertainment and media to hardware goods.
- Private company – assisting in the handling of a global trade mark portfolio in over 100 jurisdictions.
- Private companies and individuals – acting for various companies or individuals in trade mark disputes in the UK Intellectual Property Office. Disputes consist of oppositions and/or revocation and/or invalidation proceedings.
