Intellectual property ownership and licensing

IP ownership

IP rights, by their very nature as property rights, can be licensed, bought and sold. It is therefore critical to define and establish ownership in order to prevent IP disputes and infringements during the IP lifecycle. Defining ownership of IP rights, such as patents, trade marks, designs and copyright can be complex and can vary on a case by case basis and on jurisdictional differences.

There may also be the possibility of moral rights – i.e. separate legal rights that occur automatically in favour of the author(s) of the work. The question is: who is the author? It is important to get this right and our attorneys can help shed light on the question of IP ownership.

IP licensing

Licensing agreements grant permission to another party to do something that would otherwise be an infringement on the rights of the IP rights owner. As such, they are extremely important. Whether licensing in or licensing out, our attorneys have extensive experience advising on IP licensing negotiations, most notably between SMEs and larger entities, including Tier 1 original equipment manufacturers (OEM) and automotive customers.

With many of our attorneys taking part in advanced level IP licence drafting workshops, we are constantly honing our licensing skill-sets. This ongoing development, combined with our in-house technical experience and expertise, means we draft commercially-minded licences and licensing strategies for our clients. For more information about establishing a licensing agreement, IP licensing benefits or ‘licences of right’, please contact us today.