IP Contracts

Do I Need a Shareholders’ Agreement For My Company?

As entrepreneurs embark on the exciting journey of establishing a business in the UK, it’s essential to lay a strong foundation for the company’s success. While many aspects require careful…

What Is IP Licensing?

In the ever-evolving landscape of intellectual property (IP) rights, businesses and individuals often find themselves navigating complex legal terrain. IP licensing is a crucial aspect of this landscape, enabling the…

Why Do I Need A Non-Disclosure Agreement For My Business?

A non-disclosure agreement (NDA) is a contract that legally binds two parties to not share confidential information with third parties. In simpler terms, an NDA is a tool that helps…

What to include in my freelancer agreement?

We’ve heard a lot about artificial intelligence and machine learning this year, but there are still some tasks best undertaken by homo sapiens – particularly art, craft, design and other…

Do I Need a Written Contract?

In the dynamic landscape of business and personal transactions, the question often arises: “do I need a written contract?”. While oral agreements may be tempting for their simplicity and informality,…

Can you verbally assign intellectual property rights?

No, verbal assignments of intellectual property rights are generally not considered valid or enforceable. In most jurisdictions, including the United Kingdom, intellectual property rights are legally recognised and protected under…

Communications to the public – Blue Air and UPFR

Case Background The adjoined case C‑775/21 and C‑826/21, Blue Air and UPFR involved a referral from the Romanian court to the CJEU regarding music onboard public transport and communications to the…

Band Agreements – Do it before it’s too late!

What do Abba, One Direction and Oasis all have in common? They were all bands … and they all broke up … in quite spectacular fashions. It is essential you…

Do I need terms and conditions for my online business?

In recent years, with an especially prominent surge during and following the pandemic, the internet has become an increasingly popular platform for businesses to sell their goods and services. With…

Understanding Essential Terms and Policies

Starting a new business can be exciting, but it can also be overwhelming. There are various different terms and policies that you may need to ensure your business is compliant…

My Dissolved Company Owns My Trade Mark, What Can I Do?

A limited company is a separate legal entity and therefore can be the proprietor of a intellectual property rights, meaning it can license it to third parties, assign it to…

Raye, Record Deals & Release Clauses

This month Raye earned her first UK number one, independently and without the help of a record label. An incredible feat for an independent artist. However, Raye was not always…

Entering competitions and the issues surrounding copyright

Businesses, charities and other entities can find great benefit in running competitions requiring entrants to submit work that they have created specifically for that competition. That work may be in…

Why are licence agreements so important to get right?

The publisher behind the latest Cooking Mama game has found themselves in hot water with IP owner Office Create. There appears to be a resolution to an ongoing dispute between…

Crypto conundrums

In what is surely a first for English law, the High Court in England and Wales recently approved service of pleadings via a so called non-fungible token or ‘NFT’. In…

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…

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…

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…

IP Clauses In Employment Contracts And Assignments

If you have a contract of employment, there’s a good chance it includes a section that deals with intellectual property (IP) rights. The IP clause will likely state that all…

Pandemic start-ups… what you need to know about IP

One of the few positives that we can take from the pandemic is that it seemed to act as a catalyst for new businesses. If the world turning upside down…

Check the signature block before you sign that contract!

When signing a contract on behalf of a client (as an agent) or on behalf of your business or an employer, it is important to check that the signature block…

Deliberate breaches are still caught by exclusion clauses and cap on liability clauses

Most commercial contracts (such as distribution and manufacturing contracts) have exclusion clauses.  These clauses exclude the contracting parties’ liability in the event of certain breaches (e.g., liability for loss of…

Classic Copyright Cases – The Beach Boys

I can remember hearing The Beach Boys way back when I was but a youngster. It was long before the days of Coronavirus and being equipped with a mask whenever…

Black Hole Sum – the disputed valuation of Chris Cornell’s share of Soundgarden rights

If ever a reminder was needed that uncertainty breeds conflict, the latest dispute between the widow of singer and songwriter Chris Cornell and his band Soundgarden is a prime example.…