For many businesses intellectual property (IP) and know how may be the most valuable asset. For emerging companies a failure to put basic measures in place to secure intellectual property ownership and preserve confidentiality of trade secrets and know-how may have serious consequences as the business grows and looks for investment or finance. Intellectual property litigation is expensive and beyond the means of many small companies. The best drafted agreement is of little use if it cannot be enforced. Practical steps to protect intellectual capital must be taken alongside the contract.

Larger businesses face the difficulty of ever more complex exploitation structures and shifts in the importance and value of the different exploitable rights. This is particularly so in the media industry, where the variety of methods by which content may be distributed and received and the rise in the need for statistics and data to sit around visual content mean that defining rights and establishing a coherent exploitation structure has become a skilled art.

We regularly advise on such matters. Our work ranges from drafting and negotiating basic IP housekeeping documents such as confidentiality and non-disclosure agreements and IP provisions for employment, consultancy and freelance agreements, to advising on sophisticated structures for developing, exploiting and licensing IP protected products, technology or content. Much of our work in this area has an international dimension, involving cross border supply or multi jurisdiction licensing. We advise on the establishment of technology joint ventures and collaborations.

We have a diverse client base including engine manufacturers, developers of marine vessel safety systems, paint manufacturers, sports broadcasters, manufacturers of payment systems products and technology, IT companies and an international group of companies, which commercialises a patented industrial extraction process in the telecommunications sector.

If you require advice on any of the following (or any other commercial issue related to your IP or technology) please contact us

• Confidentiality and Non-disclosure agreements (“NDAs”)
• Pre project confidentiality agreements
• Project evaluation, pilot and testing agreements
• Technical assistance agreements
• Royalty and revenue share agreements
• IP assignments and licences (for all types of intellectual property including copyright, trademark and patents)
• Employment, consultancy, freelance assignments
• Data exploitation and supply agreement
• Design agreements
• Know-how and technical assistance agreements
• Manufacturing and production agreements
• Software licence agreements
• IP research, development and collaboration agreements
• Merchandising, co-branding, franchising and sponsorship agreements