How to fund and make money from your invention
Turning an idea into a real product and protecting the associated intellectual property (IP) is not cheap, so how can you make your desired outcome into reality? Let’s look at some options....
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Robert Baker
11:20 16 Apr 24
Great support from Will and the team getting my patent application to... first filing.read more
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22:22 07 Mar 24
Robert and the team have been great to work with and we've just... successfully secured our first patent. Whenever we needed any advice or had any questions, Robert and the team were more than happy to help, and any answers were always communicated in a way which was easy to understand. Thank you all for helping us secure our first patent!read more
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20:20 14 Dec 23
I recently had the pleasure of working with Joel Weston on what initially... seemed like a minor IPO issue, but it evolved into a comprehensive co-existence agreement with another company. I can’t express enough how much I valued Joel’s expertise, depth of knowledge, and meticulous guidance throughout this process. It was more than just legal advice; for me, it was akin to an enlightening crash course in IP law!read more
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Helpful Tips
Do I have to identify the designer?
It is possible to waive the name of the designer when filing a European Community Design, but you should be sure that you have the rights to the design
Infringement
What is artistic craftsmanship in copyright? Seeking clarity on UK copyright law
One company seeking clarity on this issue against our client Liking Limited is WaterRower Limited, maker of the water resistance rowing machine. A well known product that you may have seen in your local gym, on TV or in a publication.
“Google-spoofing” – can you buy Adwords matching a competitor’s trade mark?
It is not difficult to find examples of this so-called “google-spoofing” by claims management companies. A few quick searches for well-known car insurance brands followed by “accident report” revealed plenty.
Are Dead Patents Free to Use?
A granted patent will always lapse or expire eventually, normally by 20 years from the date it was originally filed, and plenty of patents permanently lapse earlier than that for a variety of reasons. With that in mind, you might rightly wonder: is it safe to copy the invention that was in the patent? The answer is not as straightforward you might think.
Help! Someone else has registered my domain name!
Registering an internet domain name is cheap and simple. But what happens if someone gets there first with your business name? It would be better to avoid the problem altogether, and we would always recommend checking domain availability and getting trade marks registered in advance of a public rebrand.
UKIPO Opinion Services – Underused or Under-useful?
The devil makes work for idle hands. Whilst contemplating lunch at my desk, I found myself drawn to the UKIPO opinion service website
Can you be held liable for asking Amazon to take down infringing listings?
There is a lot to entertain the curious follower of patent law in the High Court’s judgment in Shenzhen Carku v The Noco Company .
Words still matter – the doctrine of equivalents has its limits
In 2017 the Supreme Court in Actavis v Eli Lily[1] established the doctrine of equivalents in UK patent law. Perhaps it would be more accurate to say that the Supreme Court reminded us that equivalents could infringe or brought the doctrine back...
