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What Our Clients Say ...
I want to personally thank Charlie Heal , Emily Fox, Cara McAtee, and the entire team at Albright IP for their hard work, dedication, and professionalism in helping me submit my first ever patent: the Baffer Ball fire suppression system.
From the very first meeting, Charlie and Emily made everything feel clear, comfortable, and respectful. They listened carefully to my ideas, even though I’m not from a technical or legal background – I’m a painter and decorator by trade. But they believed in my vision and treated it with such care and seriousness that I felt truly supported as an inventor.
Over several months, we worked closely by email and phone. Charlie and the team guided me step by step to build one of the strongest, clearest, and most professional patent drafts I could have hoped for. The claims they wrote are powerful, and the language used shows how deeply they understood my invention. They didn’t just file a document – they helped shape a legacy.
Charlie, even though he is young, is incredibly professional and experienced. I am amazed at how he managed such a complex project with kindness, patience, and precision. Emily and Cara were also fantastic throughout.
This was not just paperwork – this was my dream since childhood. And Albright IP helped me make that dream real.
💬 I look forward to working with them again on future patents. The Baffer Ball is just the beginning – and I am proud that Albright IP was there from Day 1.
Thank you so much again — from the bottom of my heart.
— Morteza
He’s not only incredibly knowledgeable, but also warm and approachable. No question has ever felt too small, and he genuinely cares about the success of my business. I’d highly recommend Marc to anyone looking for a dedicated, trustworthy, and skilled patent attorney.
The patent was filed within weeks and had a depth of technical input from Albright that was excellent. I'm very pleased.
I have filed patents in the past but working with Albright IP was a totally different experience. I recommend them without hesitation.
Their knowledge regarding the patent process is extensive.
They have help me navigate the complex process to gain patent granted on my first design and patent pending on my second design.
I feel reassured and confident to put my designs in their hands knowing they will give the best advice based on the facts and not for their own financial gain.
Brilliant company.
Kathryn Haslam
Comfyi.
They were also very clear regarding fees, and set out a very helpful visual timeline and cost breakdown on the whole patent application process at the pre-sales stage. This emphasis on making sure I understood all aspects of the work, and having documentation to help with that, is something I didn't see with any of the other patent services I was talking to at the time. This clear communication continued throughout our interactions.
Would recommend Albright IP to anyone looking to patent an invention. The patent they filed for me was for a software invention.
No upselling for their fee either, just a fair, professional appraisal...
Thanks to Allbright, I am not spending thousands on a low hope project (when I so easily could have been).
Then end result being that we accomplished everything I wanted to in time and budget.
Highly recommend.
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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
Podcast Series
Figure 1: an IP conversation
Real stories. Real lessons. The protection your business needs.
Our Podcast Series – Figure 1: An IP Conversation is for anyone who is serious about building their intellectual property (IP).
Whether you are an entrepreneur, a start up company, or represent a corporate enterprise, with this podcast series, we aim to give you huge value and insights into this niche area of law which should help you achieve greater success in the future.
Subscribe on YouTube to Figure 1: an IP conversation for more episodes about maximising innovation, creativity and business growth.
Podcast Index
- Episode 1: Hidden trade mark mistakes that could destroy your brand, and how to avoid them.
- Episode 2: Innovation is easy. Keeping hold of it isn’t.
- Episode 3: The dark side of social media no one warns business owners about.
- Episode 4: Registered Designs vs Patents: What’s Actually More Powerful?
- Episode 5: What Happens If Someone Challenges Your Trade Mark?
Episode 1: Hidden trade mark mistakes that could destroy your brand, and how to avoid them.
With your company and products, it is crucial that you create a brand with value, credibility and longevity.
This first episode in our video podcast series is an in-depth conversation with Katie Oliver, a hugely experienced Trade Mark Attorney. It is a 10 minute conversation that contains a goldmine of valuable Trade Mark information. It will change how you think about intellectual property.
Albright IP’s Managing Director, Robert Games sits down with Trade Mark Attorney Katie Oliver to reveal the unseen risks that can derail a business before it even gets started.
Every founder thinks their brand is safe… until it isn’t.
If you’re naming a business, launching a product, expanding overseas, or building a brand you want people to remember, this is essential listening.
Katie reveals:
- The number one mistake entrepreneurs make when choosing a name
- Why using a brand before registering it can lead to a forced rebrand
- The truth about company names (and why they offer zero real protection)
- How trade mark searches can save you thousands — and your reputation
- What a word mark actually protects vs. a logo or slogan
- The difference between ™ and ® and why it matters
- How to think globally when protecting your brand
Episode 2: Innovation is easy. Keeping hold of it isn’t.
In this episode, Albright IP Managing Director Robert Games is joined by experienced Patent Attorney Will Doherty to explore one of the most overlooked parts of protecting innovation: invention capture.
This is a practical conversation about how innovation really happens inside businesses, and what you need in place to stop it’s value slipping through the cracks. Watch and learn!
Most businesses think patents start with filing; they don’t. They start much earlier, often before anyone realises there’s something worth protecting.
If you’re running an R&D team, developing products at pace, collaborating with partners, or building technical capability inside a growing business, this is essential listening.
William explains:
- What invention capture actually is (and why it has nothing to do with filing patents)
- Why good ideas are so often forgotten, lost or disputed later
- How inventorship mistakes can create serious legal and ownership risks
- The hidden dangers of contractors, collaborators and university partnerships
- Why unintentional disclosure can kill patent rights overnight
- What a good invention disclosure should include (and what people always miss)
- How invention capture supports better patent strategy, not just more patents
- Why culture matters as much as process when it comes to innovation
Episode 3: The dark side of social media no one warns business owners about.
In this episode, Albright IP Managing Director Robert Games is joined by Trade Mark Attorney, James Beeton, to talk about the growing risks businesses face on social media and what can realistically be done about them.
A masterclass episode aimed at founders, marketing teams and growing businesses that want to use social media confidently, without leaving their brand exposed.
Social platforms are now one of the most powerful tools for building a brand, but they’re also an easy entry point for counterfeiters, fake profiles and bad actors looking to exploit established names.
For many SMEs, the challenge isn’t whether infringement is happening, but where to focus time, effort and budget.
James has fantastic experience in brand protection, including his time working in-house at Global brand, Superdry.
This conversation covers:
- The most common forms of abuse, from fake accounts to misleading ads
- How counterfeiters and opportunists use hashtags, keywords and campaigns
- Why registered IP rights make content removal far more effective
- What businesses should monitor and what can usually be ignored
- The importance of evidence, internal processes and clear brand guidelines
- Practical steps SMEs can take to protect themselves without overreacting
Episode 4: Registered Designs vs Patents: What’s Actually More Powerful?
Patents protect how something works. Registered designs protect how it looks.
But in a competitive market, appearance can be just as commercially valuable as technical innovation.
Through practical examples and well-known cases, including the Trunki dispute and Apple’s design battle with Samsung, our latest Figure 1: an IP conversation podcast episode highlights how small decisions at the filing stage can have major consequences years later.
Albright IP Managing Director Robert Games is joined by Frederick Noble, who heads the Albright IP Cornwall office, to explore the role of registered designs in the wider IP landscape, and to ask a provocative question: can registered designs sometimes be more powerful than patents?
This episode is aimed at founders, product designers, in-house teams and growing businesses that want to protect the visual identity of their products properly and avoid costly mistakes.
Frederick explains:
- What registered designs protect (and the limits around technical function)
- Why the images you file completely define your scope of protection
- Lessons from the Trunki case and what went wrong
- How to use multiple filings to strengthen and widen protection
- The 12-month grace period and when it can help
- When to file, and why timing matters if patents are involved
- How infringement is assessed and what “overall impression” really means
- The commercial value of designs compared with unregistered rights
Episode 5: What Happens If Someone Challenges Your Trade Mark?
After a business receives a letter before action challenging their trademark and threatening opposition, they are faced with a difficult decision: withdraw their trade mark application, defend it, or negotiate with the opposer. What would you do in this situation? Using this scenario, this podcast episode unpacks how these disputes arise, what legal rights are in play, and how a strategic response can shape the outcome.
Trade marks don’t just exist on the register, they exist in the real world.
And sometimes, prior use can be just as powerful as a registered right.
Using examples, the episode highlights how gaps in due diligence, broad specifications, and lack of professional advice can quickly lead to conflict, and how those situations can often be resolved without the need for costly escalation.
This episode is aimed at founders, SMEs, and brand owners who want to understand how trade mark disputes work in practice, and how to protect their brand while avoiding unnecessary cost and risk.
Joel walks us through:
- What a letter before action means and how to respond
- The key grounds for opposing a trade mark application
- How prior use can challenge an earlier registered right
- Why the UKIPO only considers registered marks, not marketplace use
- The difference between using a trade mark and owning one
- When withdrawing an application may (and may not) resolve the issue
- How coexistence agreements allow businesses to operate side by side
- Why most disputes settle, and what influences that decision
- The risks of filing a trade mark without professional advice
Robert Games, Katie Oliver, Will Doherty, James Beeton, Frederick Noble, Joel Weston and all the team would welcome any questions or enquiries about the topics of our Video Podcasts or IP in general. Please do get in touch by telephone: +44 (0) 1242 691 801, by email: info@albright-ip.co.uk, or by using the Contact Form below and we will be happy to advise and guide you.
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