Blog & News

Help, I’ve Just Received A Cease And Desist Letter!

As intellectual property experts, we spend much of our time either sending or responding to cease and desist letters. These letters are the first step in intellectual property (IP) claims.…

How to protect a TV format

Game show formats and reality TV shows like Love Island and Big Brother have been extremely popular not only in the UK, but also internationally. Format rights are therefore important…

Help! I’ve received a Notice of Threatened Opposition, what do I do now?

Well, let’s start by explaining what a Notice of Threatened Opposition actually is… essentially it’s a form (called a TM7A if you’re interested) that potential opponents of a trade mark…

Intellectual property and internships

As the heatwaves hit, so did the wave of interns applying for roles in businesses. Whether interns are with you for a few weeks during the summer or on a…

Only Fools and Horses Dining Experience Infringes the Copyright in the ‘Del Boy’ Character

The Intellectual Property Enterprise Court has recently held that an interactive ‘Only Fools The (cushty) Dining Experience’ (OFDE) infringed the copyright in the ‘Del Boy’ character and committed passing off…

What can my trade mark be?

In the world of trade marks, deciding what “mark” to file requires careful consideration. Your decision may severely impact the level of your protection and could cause issues down the…

Help! There Are Similar Trade Marks Already Registered, What Should I Do?

The UK Intellectual Property Office has recently published a report showing that a record number of trade marks were registered last year, which represents a 75% increase from 2020. It…

When can copyright infringement be permitted?

Copyright in original literary, dramatic, musical and artistic work, as well as film, sound recordings, broadcasts and typographical arrangements, is created automatically so long as the work is original. Copyright…

IP, Counterfeiting and the Blockchain

With the advent of globalisation on a mass scale in the 1990s, coinciding with the fall of the USSR and the rapid development of emerging economies in Asia, Africa and…

Calling All My Creatives – Put Your Best Foot Forward In Contract Negotiations!

We’ve seen it happen much too frequently. Photographers, filmmakers, musicians, designers, and social content creators see the fees for their work listed in the contracts they sign, but they disregard…

How do I exploit my intellectual property?

Owning and protecting a set of intellectual property (IP) rights is one thing but harnessing them for commercial gain is another thing entirely. There are two main options for exploiting…

SKKN in the game: Factors to consider in trade mark disputes

There’s a time and place for resolving trade mark disputes in an adversarial manner (courts, solicitors’ letters, etc.), and there are other times where both parties can come to a…

How can I lose my trade mark?

Obtaining registration of your trade mark is a clear milestone of success, but it is not the end of the story. Even though trade marks can technically last forever (subject…

“Hot Dogs, It’s That Time Again”: Mickey Mouse’s Copyright Expires

Disney’s copyright on its most famous character, Mickey Mouse, is due to expire in 2024 after 95 years, paving the way for anyone to use the iconic figure in ways…

What is passing off?

Last week I was wandering around the fields of Glastonbury. It is a slightly different vibe to my day job and for the third time in a row I did…

Trade Mark Infringement: The Complete Guide

In this guide from expert solicitors, Ramsay Monime and Saad Khan, we explain everything and anything you need to know about trade mark infringements. The Basics What is a trade…

How to get copyright for a game

Copyright forms a key part of any video game developer’s arsenal to protect their work, alongside trade marks (see my previous post on trade marks for games here) and other…

Artificial Intelligence and IP

In 2018, a piece of art created by means of artificial intelligence was sold at Christie’s auction in New York for approximately, $432,500. This work was called ‘Edmond de Belamy,…

What is intellectual property?

Intellectual property can be an elusive beast, it is easy to say and impossible to touch, but what exactly is it? The World Intellectual Property Office defines intellectual property (IP)…

How to defend a trade mark opposition

If you’ve landed on this blog, it’s likely that you are in receipt of a Notice of Opposition. In the UK, this is called a Form TM7. It’s worth double-checking…

Think fashion, think metaverse

Decentraland’s Metaverse Fashion Week took place in March in this year, bringing together fashion and virtual reality on the biggest scale yet. Now more than ever, big brands are considering…

Host liability – when can the ‘hosting defence’ be relied on

Are hosts liable for the actions of their users? The recent decision of Montres Breguet v Samsung confirms that, in some cases, they are. This decision provides useful guidance in…

Registering your trade mark in Ireland

As Briffa expands into Ireland, we examine some of the matters that Irish startups and SMEs should consider when it comes to protecting their trade marks. Why are trade marks…

How to choose a trade mark

One of the key steps in selecting a trade mark is developing a list of potential brand names and identifying their distinctiveness, or strength, from a trade mark perspective. Distinctiveness…

Domain names – are they intellectual property?

Are domain names intellectual property? The quick and easy answer to this question is that domain names are not intellectual property. In this post, we’ll expand a little more on…

Can you transfer ownership of a trade mark?

A trade mark gives the owner an exclusive right to use the registered brand name and/or logo for a period of 10 years, renewable for subsequent 10-year periods without a…

Copy Cars – Aston Martin F1 accused of copying

Formula 1 is one of the most elite racing sports in the world, featuring 20 drivers in single-seat, open-wheel cars, travelling at speeds up to 223 miles per hour. F1…