Copyright
I represent media agencies, publishers, manufacturers, distributors and Internet based businesses, and assist them to safeguard their copyrights in commercial contracts and enforce those rights when required. I'm well positioned to provide strategic legal advice in the creative media industry.
The strength of copyright is in its role of protecting all manner of original text, images, music, computer programs, and media compilations. However, it doesn't provide the extensive protection granted by patent law as it doesn't protect know-how, ideas, information, knowledge, methods, concepts, theories or algorithms. As a copyright lawyer, I understand the strengths of copyright along with its weaknesses, and provide legal advice where copyright is not the most appropriate form of protection.
Patents
With businesses focusing more and more on the value of intellectual property and the ways it can be used to generate revenue, it's important to ensure your work is protected from plagiarism. I help my clients determine the ownership of patent rights.
I can tell you whether your property can be protected, what you have to do to protect it and how to make the most of intellectual property rights.
My patent services include legal advice on:
- Patentability of inventions
- Conducting searches to avoid infringing existing patent holders´ rights
- Defending against patent infringement claims
- Pursuing infringement litigation
- Negotiation and settlement of patent disputes
- Advising on strategies for obtaining patent protection worldwide
- Opposing patent applications
Trade Marks
Trade marks hold significant value in identifying products, goods and services and help ensure customer loyalty. A trade mark is a sign that distinguishes goods and services of one trader from another. Logos, slogans, signatures, letters, numerals, packaging, shapes of products and packaging, scents, colours and sounds may be registered as trade marks.
Registration prevents others using a substantially identical or deceptively similar trade mark. I deliver a complete range of services for trade marks:
- Searches of trade marks to detect potential infringement and obstacles to registration
- Advice on registering trade marks
- Drafting trade mark specifications
- Filing trade mark applications worldwide
- Pursuing and contesting oppositions to applications
In much the same way you would invest time, effort and expense in developing a brand identity, a valuable, registered trade mark that identifies a brand may add significant capital value to a business
Contracts
A number of years working in corporate law as given me significant experience, industry knowledge and expertise providing contract legal advice. I advise on preparing contractual documentation, structuring agreements and disputes. My drafting expertise is drawn in part from my litigation expertise, having seen what can happen when agreements are not drafted to take into account a business' particular circumstances. I also advise on establishing liability for breach and the remedies for breach of contract
When coupled with the other IP services I offer, my contract expertise is ideally suited to:
- Software and database licensing agreements
- Licensing and protection of business names, logos, trade marks and brand names
- End user licenses
- Content and software licensing in broadband media
- Licensing of trading names
- Recording contracts
- Public Performance rights
