Written by Daniel Crate

How can I secure funding to help protect and commercialise the intellectual property in my business?

Like obtaining a lease to your business premises or finding and retaining good employees, obtaining and commercialising your intellectual property rights can be costly. There is often a long list…

What are Collaboration Agreements?

At Briffa we regularly help our clients collaborate with other parties (such as universities and businesses with technological expertise in a particular sector) so they can grow their businesses. Collaboration…

Should I consider an Option Agreement for my intellectual property rights?

Once you have established from a lawyer if you can protect your intellectual property rights, we can help you open talks with potential investors or parties who may want to…

Why are non-disclosure agreements important for your business?

Non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) indeed important for protecting intellectual property (IP). They play a crucial role in maintaining the confidentiality of sensitive information, which is essential for securing various IP rights,…

Are Franchising Agreements a good tool to help grow your business?

Franchising Agreements are not right for every business. However, it is useful to know what they are and when it may be appropriate to consider them further to help your…

How do I protect the intellectual property in my new jewellery brand?

It’s an exciting time, you have an idea for a new jewellery brand to shake up the market. But before you rush off and launch your brand to the public,…

Can my brand be protected on the web?

Protection of brands is just as important on the internet as it is in other media.  With the propensity to search for company, business, product names through search engines such…

How can I protect my brand?

In a competitive market place it is important to protect the visual identity of your business.  An effective brand protection strategy secures the value in your brand.  One of the…

What are grace periods for registered designs?

Before you release your designs to the world there are a few things you should be aware of. Obtaining a registered design in the UK Registered design right is a…

Can Santa Claus get a trade mark?

It’s that time of year again. We are all navigating the wet Christmas markets and shoulder barging our way through department stores/ clicking “proceed to basket” via various online marketplaces…

To what extent can “parody” be used as a defence to copyright infringement claims?

What is the issue? What constitutes ‘parody’? The preliminary ruling from the Brussels Court of Appeal sought clarification on ‘parody’ under Article 5(3)(k)-InfoSoc Directive. This allowed EU member states to…

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…

Welsh Single Malt Whiskey Gains Geographical Identification

After Brexit, the UK geographical indication scheme was established to provide legal protection against imitation and misuse of certain food and drink products. Recently, “Single Malt Welsh Whiskey” was recognized…

Katy Perry’s trade mark dispute with an Australian fashion designer with the same name

Recently there were fireworks after the singer Katy Perry lost her trade mark dispute with the designer called Katie Perry. In 2019 the Sydney based designer, Katie Perry (also known…

Tony Hawk, what’s in a name?

I was never great at skateboarding, either in real life or on a PlayStation 1. But when you think of skateboarding the one name that springs to mind is Tony…

Common Intellectual Property considerations for start-ups

A few weeks ago I sat down with the founder and CEO of Pleese (formally Pleesecakes). Pleese make specialist cheesecakes and other exciting products, including revolutionizing the frozen desert market…

Registered design rights- grace periods deadlines

It’s an exciting time, after months of brainstorming a new design you have finalised some design drawings and you’re nearly ready to launch your product. Your social media is ready…

The benefits of exploring Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR)

It’s an inevitability that when your business experiences a dispute it can be costly and time consuming. When helping our clients navigate their disputes we explore Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR)…

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…

What Is Passing Off?

  Last year, I was wandering around the fields of Glastonbury. It is a slightly different vibe to my day job and it was nice to have a cider in…

Why complete clearance checks before applying for a trade mark?

After months of hard work getting your business off the ground, it’s nice to get round to actually protecting one of your main assets, your brand’s name. Trade marks can…

How do I protect confidential information?

The Easter Bunny pulled off his annual stunt again on Sunday. Not bad given the global supply chain issues. However, what may seem like a logistical miracle of designing, making,…

How do I protect my brand?

I grew up listening to a young red-headed musician playing piano and guitar. But, unlike Ed Sheeran, my little brother didn’t have the stress of becoming a global star and…