Intellectual property in UK

What is intellectual property?

Intellectual property is related to creativity, specifically creations of the mind. In civil law it has been referred to as intellectual rights. It can be divided in two main categories: Industrial property and copyright.





Industrial property includes:

• Inventions

• Trademarks

• Industrial designs

Copyright includes:

• Literary works

• Artistic works

Copyright is to protect the creative work in the following areas: literary, artistic, musical, films and sounds. It gives to the author specific rights and prohibits unauthorised actions. These laws allow the author to take legal action against infringement or plagiarism.

Nobody is save from intellectual property infringements

Intellectual property rights are increasingly important. Sadly there are plenty of people who ignore the copyright laws. A big example of that comes from a big country: China. They are very well known to copy brands but the follow example is pretty amazing. They fake Apple Stores. The discovery was made by 27-year-old American women, who saw three Apple stores popping up in a South China city while she was away for few months. At first everything appears normal at the store but looking closer she saw that it was written ‘Apple Stoer’ under the logo. It seems, the products were fake as well. Even the employees thought they were working for Apple.


So, how do you copyright in UK?


In UK there is no specific office, you don’t have to fill out a form or pay a fee to protect your work. The right is automatic and you just have to put your creations in a tangible form. There are however some simple steps you should ensure in order to protect your work:

• Put your creation in a tangible form - Paper or digital

• Mark your creation with the copyright symbol – a “C” in a circle

• Send to yourself using special delivering - use a delivery company such as FedEX (link)

Intellectual property for business

Intellectual property is now a hugely valuable part of business. In the Fortune 500, the value of intellectual property for its largest companies ranges between 45% - 75% and also represents the highest growth area in the global economy. Intangible assets  represents in some cases over 80% of the company brand. Even the UK government recognises the importance of Intellectual Property for the growing of the economy.

A great example of that is the transfer of Cristiano Ronaldo from Manchester United to Real Madrid. The £80 million was not only for the player but also for the ‘Cristiano Ronaldo’ brand.  The two games played by real Madrid in China in the 2011-12 pre-season were an example of that. Cristiano sent the message announcing the games ‘two big games that can’t be missed’. The idea was not only to prepare the season but to explore the China’s market with the brand ‘Ronaldo’ and other big players.

Two big to neglect

As you can see intellectual property is too big to neglect. Accordingly a company needs to control all aspects of Intellectual property such as:

• Commercialization

• Corporate transactions

• Protection

• Enforcement

A manager must be sure he not to infringe, but must also be ready to be defend against claims or act against trademark or copyright infringers. Accordingly he needs professional help, such as a lawyer or solicitor firm. They will ensure he has the appropriate help he needs.  




Related links:
Intellectual Property Rights 
Commercial dispute resolution
Solicitors in London