Lincoln office

01522 801111
LOVEN Patents & Trademarks
51 Wragby Road
Sudbrooke
LINCOLN
LN2 2QU
United Kingdom

Hull office

01482 236777
LOVEN Patents & Trademarks
Hesslewood Hall Business Centre
Ferriby Road,
Hessle
HULL, HU13 0LH
United Kingdom

Peterborough office

01733 889444
LOVEN Patents & Trademarks
Asset House
Thorpe Wood Business Park
26-28 Thorpe Wood
PETERBOROUGH, PE3 6SR
United Kingdom

General Intellectual Property Information

What is Intellectual Property?

Often abbreviated to IP, Intellectual Property is a term referring to the legal property rights for things that people create or invent.

The legal principle behind IP law is that if the expression of someone’s idea (i.e. a creation of their intellect) has commercial value, then its owner should have exclusive rights to use and benefit from it.  These rights, known as intellectual property rights, are often abbreviated to IPR.

Most people are familiar with the main types of protection available for IPR such as patents, trademarks, design rights and copyright.  In a nutshell:

  • PATENTS protect inventions for new or improved products and processes
  • TRADEMARKS protect the brand identity which enables consumers to distinguish the products or services of a particular trader – such as a business name, logo, slogan or corporate colours for example
  • DESIGNS protect the visual appearance of a product or its packaging – such as the shape, contours, or pattern applied to it
  • COPYRIGHT protects literary and artistic material, music, films, sound recordings and broadcasts, including software and multimedia

Once your Intellectual Property is fully secured with the appropriate protection, it is important that it is managed correctly to ensure you receive the maximum return on your IP for as long as possible.

With LOVEN, you will be provided with a professional consultancy service that will allow you to make the most out of your IP portfolio, and help you manage and resolve any disputes over patents and trademarks.

We can provide you with a full range of services including full advisory, negotiation and drafting services in connection with licensing agreements, assignments and confidentiality agreements.

LOVEN’s top 10 IP tips for beginners

  • Never allow your brand name to be used as a verb or a noun
  • Always keep & properly maintain laboratory records & experimental notebooks
  • If you need to work with someone else to develop a new idea, make sure you have a written agreement between you that covers ownership of rights before you start work
  • Don’t rely on registering domain names to protect your brand
  • A registered limited company name does not grant trademark protection
  • Don’t assume that use of your name will always be a defence to trademark infringement
  • IP rights are assets that can be valued and included on a balance sheet
  • Using ‘look-a-like’ packaging is likely to infringe trademarks
  • Overlap your IP protection to further safeguard your creativity
  • Seek professional advice before threatening to bring an action for infringement

Could your business have hidden or potential assets?  Let LOVEN help you find out.

Many businesses fail to recognise, and protect, their less obvious IP rights, such as aspects of packaging and corporate colours. Your business has the potential to add value through the proper management of its intellectual property.

For more information on how LOVEN can protect your intellectual property, please visit here to get in contact with our teams.

Without an attorney to handle the complex legal and technical issues involved in obtaining good patent and trademark protection, you are very likely to end up with something too narrow in its scope and therefore easy to get round. Trying to save money on a patent or trademark application can prove to be costly down the line. Looking to protect your designs, brand or inventions the right way? Call us today:
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