Briffa is a specialist intellectual property law firm with offices in Ireland and the UK.
We don’t have an overly corporate feel. Instead, we pride ourselves on a creative, customer-focused approach. We’re proud to say our work has been recognised on several occasions, for example attaining the status of ‘Leading Law Firm’ in the Legal500 and winning several awards. We offer:
Originally founded in 1995, we’ve grown into a multinational, one-stop shop for any intellectual property issues. Every year, we help hundreds of individuals and businesses register, monetise, and enforce their IP rights.
So whether it’s trademarks or trade secrets, our dedicated intellectual property team are on hand to provide industry-leading support and practical solutions.
If you’d like to discuss your case, fill out the form opposite to arrange a free, no-obligation consultation with one of our solicitors. Meetings can be arranged over the phone, via video call, or in person at our office in Cork city centre.
We have extensive experience and a deep understanding of the law surrounding trade marks, copyright, and design rights for domestic and international clients. You can find more information about each of these below.
We can help you apply for a trade mark at the Intellectual Property Office of Ireland (IPOI) or the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), which covers all EU member states. In addition, we can resolve cases of trade mark infringement, either via settlement or litigation.
Find out more about our trade mark services in Ireland
In Ireland, copyright is an automatic right given to the creator of a work. No registration is required. However, you may need the assistance of a lawyer to fight against copyright infringement, transfer ownership, or ensure you’ve done everything to protect your valuable work correctly.
Find out more about our copyright services in Ireland
It’s always best to register your designs to gain exclusive control of the intellectual property rights. We can help you register your designs, license them to third parties, and resolve infringement disputes.
Find out more about our design rights services
We can also help you with contentious and non-contentious issues relating to any of the following:
We’re an award-winning firm recognised as a leader in IP law by the Legal500.
We have offices in the Republic of Ireland and the UK, plus a global network of associates and industry contacts.
We offer free initial consultations and transparent pricing, with fixed-fee quotes.
We’re customer-focused, with short turnaround times and creative, commercially-led solutions.
Our Irish office is based in Waterfront Square in Cork City Centre, Ireland. Meetings are available by appointment.
Briffa LLP
Waterfront Square
1 Horgan’s Quay
Cork
T23 PPT8
Phone: +353 (0)21 237 9722
Email: info@briffa.com
Our office is right next to Cork (Kent) Train Station, less than a 10-minute walk from nearby bus stops and only 15 minutes drive from Cork Airport.
We work with businesses of all sizes in Ireland and Europe, from one-man startups to established household brands.
The process for protecting your intellectual property in Ireland depends on the rights in question. The four main types of rights are copyright, designs, patents, and trade marks. Trade marks can be registered with the IPOI, as can patents and designs.
However, the registration of such rights is territorial. This means you must register these rights with foreign intellectual property bodies if you require protection abroad.
Copyright is slightly different as copyright arises automatically on the creation of original work in Irish law.
To ensure your entire IP portfolio is accounted for and adequately protected, we highly recommend speaking to a specialist lawyer.
If a person or business is infringing your IP without your permission, you should collect evidence, such as video recordings, screenshots or physical assets.
Then, speak to your lawyers about the infringement. You’ll need evidence of your ownership of the IP rights you allege they are infringing. For rights that you can register, such as a trade mark, this will be fairly simple. However, ownership of other rights, such as copyright, may be more difficult to prove.
Your legal advisors will then suggest a course of action to resolve the issue, usually starting with a cease and desist letter and possibly leading to litigation.
To learn more about intellectual property law in Ireland and Europe, we recommend the following online resources:
Mark leads our Irish operations, advising clients on a range of intellectual property disputes and matters.
Mark was previously the in-house legal counsel for several multinational companies in Ireland. He’s also an active Law Society of Ireland member and volunteers with the Free Legal Advice Clinic.
“Very impressed with Mark Eiffe heading up the Cork Briffa office. Crystal clear presentation. Long-term partnership is a mutually beneficial goal. Very personable. Efficient follow-up. Top trumps!”
Shane Clarke, Garden City Culture
Fill out a contact form, and we’ll call you back to learn more about your case and organise a consultation. The consultation is a free, no-obligation chat where we’ll get to know you and understand your current intellectual property issues.
Book your free consultation now
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