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Creative and Brands

We understand the crucial role of intellectual property for our clients in the creative sector and the importance of our clients' brands in the promotion and success of their products.

Our wide range of experience and expertise across IP, which includes trade marks, designs and copyright, allows us to provide comprehensive advice to our clients, helping them not only to secure registered protection of their rights, but also to fully understand the scope of their unregistered intellectual property rights. These are extremely important in the creative sector, for example with copyright in publishing and unregistered designs in the fashion industry.

We devise IP protection strategies which are closely tailored to our clients' needs and are both legally sophisticated and commercially astute. We help our clients to secure the widest scope of protection for their intellectual property, through a combination of registered and unregistered rights.

We assist our clients in enforcing their intellectual property rights in the most efficient and cost-effective manner, through negotiations and, when necessary, litigation. Our negotiating skills allow us to often persuade infringers to cease impinging upon our clients' rights without the need for litigation, by making them fully aware of the consequences of their infringing activity.

Our experienced trade mark team advises and assists clients in a wide variety of sectors, such as media, consumer goods, automotive, transport and mobility, chemicals, pharmaceuticals and food.

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Services

What do we do?

Trade Marks

A trade mark informs the consumer about the origin, quality and reputation of your goods and services. They are extremely valuable assets which speak to the consumer about your business.

Our team of Trade Mark Attorneys offer a comprehensive range of trade mark services including:

  • Clearance searches for new trade marks in order to ensure they can be used without infringing third party rights;
  • Registration of trade marks worldwide;
  • Enforcement via trade mark oppositions, cancellation applications and infringement actions;
  • Watching services to identify any conflicting third party applications;
  • Strategic advice on the selection of commercially strong and legally protectable trade marks.
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IP Strategy

The nature, geographical extent and timing of IP protection varies depending on the nature of a client's business, budget and commercial priorities. 

We understand that not all clients are the same and we form a close relationship with you in order to understand your technical and business needs before providing strategic advice on the form and extent of IP protection to pursue.

We maintain a longstanding involvement in our client's IP from inception, to completion of protection and conduct regular reviews to ensure that no gaps exist.

Our strategic advice also extends to enforcement and licensing strategies to ensure that clients maximise the leverage and return sought from investments and resulting IP.

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IP Commercialisation

Our Team will help you identify and monetise your IP through sale and licensing.

Our Patent and Trade Mark Attorneys can value your patents, brands and designs, and provide commercially driven advice on their sale to third parties. We are also skilled in preparing the relevant documentation and ensuring that the transfer goes smoothly. 

If you wish to retain the rights to your brand and create revenue streams through licensing, then our Patent and Trade Mark Attorneys can advise on the form your licence agreements should take, bearing in mind the manner in which the third parties should use your brand and the royalties due to you.

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Design

Design registration allows for the protection of the appearance of your products, your logos and even the surface decoration which is applied to your product range. Before you disclose your design, you should seek advice from our Attorneys on what is, and is not protectable.

Our Patent and Trade Mark Attorneys can advise on the importance of building design protection into your IP strategy and are able to offer the following services: 

  • Advice on whether your design meets the requirements for design protection;
  • Registration of designs worldwide;
  • Enforcement via invalidity applications and infringement actions;
  • The role of unregistered design rights when design registration is not available.

If you need help and advice with design registration, contact one of our Attorneys today to see how we can offer our expertise to your intellectual property safeguarding strategy. 

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Copyright

Copyright protection arises automatically when you create an original piece of work. This work can take many formats, including:

  • literary, dramatic, musical and artistic work;
  • software, web content and databases;
  • sound and music recordings;
  • film and television recordings;
  • the layout of published editions of written, dramatic and musical work.

Our Attorneys can provide you with advice on what elements of your business are protected by copyright, as well as strategic guidance on copyright ownership. Not only that, but we can assist with actions relating to the enforcement of your rights if third parties copy your protected work.

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Our Team

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Ai Ling Lim-Lee
Ai Ling Lim-Lee

Trade Mark Director

T. +44 (0) 7355 299 816Download vCard

Chartered Trade Mark Attorney

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Alistair McKinnon
Alistair McKinnon

Partner

T. +44 151 236 6688 / +44 20 7405 4442Download vCard

Chartered and European Patent Attorney | Design Attorney | UPC Representative

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Claire Modlock
Claire Modlock

Support

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London Office Manager | London Records Manager | Certified CIPA & CITMA Paralegal 

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Francesco Simone
Francesco Simone

Partner

T. +44 151 236 6688Download vCard

Chartered Trade Mark Attorney | IPEC Trade Mark Litigator

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Hannah Orr
Hannah Orr

Assistant

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Technical Assistant

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Ian Brookman
Ian Brookman

Chief Operating Officer

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Ian Wilson
Ian Wilson

Assistant

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Technical Assistant

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John Mayes
John Mayes

Assistant

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Technical Assistant

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Julian Potter
Julian Potter

Partner

T. +44 151 236 6688 / +44 20 7405 4442Download vCard

Chartered and European Patent Attorney | Design Attorney | Trade Mark Attorney | UPC Representative

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Lewis Mullholland
Lewis Mullholland

Partner

T. +44 151 236 6688Download vCard

Chartered and European Patent Attorney | Design Attorney | UPC Representative

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Marcus Leong
Marcus Leong

European Patent Attorney

T. +44 20 7405 4442Download vCard

European Patent Attorney | UPC Representative

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Mark Willis
Mark Willis

European Patent Attorney

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European Patent Attorney

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Martin Arnold
Martin Arnold

European Patent Attorney

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European Patent Attorney | UPC Representative

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Matt Bush
Matt Bush

Assistant

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Technical Assistant

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Paul Farrell
Paul Farrell

Support

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Liverpool Records Manager | Certified CIPA and CITMA Paralegal

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Ranveer Riyat
Ranveer Riyat

Assistant

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Technical Assistant

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Stuart Forrest
Stuart Forrest

Partner

T. +44 151 236 6688 / +44 20 7405 4442Download vCard

Chartered Patent Attorney and European Patent Attorney | Design Attorney | UPC Representative

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Related news

1 November 2023 - the sun will set on the EPO's Ten-Day Rule

14.10.2022

Software, Plant Varieties, Medical Technologies, Materials, Life Sciences, Engineering, Electronics and Telecoms, Creative and Brands, Consumer Goods, Chemistry, Artificial Intelligence

A unique feature of determining the actual response deadline to Communications, such as Examination Reports, notified by the European Patent Office (EPO) is that the number of months cited in the Communication runs from the 'notification' of the Communication rather than its date. 

 

Full story
The Legal 500 Ranking

10.10.2022

Software, Plant Varieties, Medical Technologies, Materials, Life Sciences, Engineering, Electronics and Telecoms, Creative and Brands, Consumer Goods, Chemistry, Artificial Intelligence

We are delighted to celebrate our ranking as a leading Intellectual Property firm in this year's The Legal 500 (Legalease) – a testament to the quality of services we continue to provide to our clients. 

 

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Is the sun about to set on the EPO's Ten-Day Rule?

29.09.2022

Software, Plant Varieties, Medical Technologies, Materials, Life Sciences, Engineering, Electronics and Telecoms, Creative and Brands, Consumer Goods, Chemistry, Artificial Intelligence

A unique feature of determining the actual response deadline to Communications, such as Examination Reports, notified by the European Patent Office (EPO) is that the number of months cited in the Communication runs from the 'notification' of the Communication rather than its date. 

Full story
Is the sun about to set on the EPO’s Ten-Day Rule 2?

13.05.2022

Software, Plant Varieties, Medical Technologies, Materials, Life Sciences, Engineering, Electronics and Telecoms, Creative and Brands, Consumer Goods, Chemistry, Artificial Intelligence

A unique feature of determining the actual response deadline to Communications, such as Examination Reports, notified by the European Patent Office (EPO) is that the number of months cited in the Communication runs from the 'notification' of the Communication rather than its date.

Full story
INTA panel discussion - Wednesday 4th May 2022

26.04.2022

Creative and Brands

The full speaker list is now confirmed for those joinig our Julian Potter on a panel discusion "INNOVATION AND THE FUTURE OF IP Technology in Society and the Future of IP Assets'.

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INTA - smart contracts and the future of IP assets

14.04.2022

Creative and Brands

WP Thompson are delighted to confirm that, as the conference season makes its return, Dr Julian Potter and Francesco Simone will be attending INTA 2022 live in Washington DC over 30 April - 4 May. Please reach out if you wish to meet with them or just say "Hi" should you run into each other.

Full story
Enlarged Board of Appeal Releases G 1/19 Decision on Patenting Computer Simulations

31.03.2021

Software, Plant Varieties, Medical Technologies, Materials, Life Sciences, Engineering, Electronics and Telecoms, Creative and Brands, Consumer Goods, Chemistry, Artificial Intelligence

The EPO's Enlarged Board of Appeal has been considering questions relating to the patentability of simulations in G1/19 and has recently issued its decision.

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Seeing Scents

09.10.2020

Creative and Brands

Francesco Simone believes an absurd conclusion was averted on appeal. R 1524/2019-2, The Procter & Gamble Company v Trademarks Solution Sp.zo.o. Sp.k., EUIPO, 28th May 2020

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One Sparkling Victory

01.08.2020

Creative and Brands

Champagne made a great showing, Francesco Simone reports. R 1132/2019-4, Comité Interprofessionnel du Vin de Champagne v Breadway, EUIPO, 17th April 2020

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Direct PCT National Phase Entry now available in Italy

14.07.2020

Software, Plant Varieties, Medical Technologies, Materials, Life Sciences, Engineering, Electronics and Telecoms, Creative and Brands, Consumer Goods, Chemistry, Artificial Intelligence

The Italian Patent and Trademark Office have confirmed that, as of 1 July 2020, PCT applicants may enter the national phase in Italy directly. This marks a change from the previous regime, which required applicants to first enter the European regional phase in order to obtain a granted European patent, which could subsequently be validated in Italy.

Full story
Sky vs SkyKick – The Court of Justice provides guidance on bad faith and the requirement for clarity and precision

06.04.2020

Creative and Brands

In its ruling in Case C 371/18, Sky and Others the EU Court of Justice (ECJ) provided welcomed guidance in relation to the concept of bad faith and the requirement of clarity and precision of the specification of goods and services.

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