Intellectual Property

Rights to intellectual property have been recognised for more than a century as a means of ensuring that "inventors" may enjoy a monopoly to exploit their work for a set period of time, depending on what was created or invented.

Information Technology is one of the most important areas of IP. In an age when even CDs can readily be copied on cheap equipment, the whole value of software is lost if rights to it as intellectual property cannot be established.

Case Study

B, a design student, hit upon a simple idea to improve the application of a common medication and decided to exploit it. He approached a local entrepreneur, a client of Peterkins, who was able to acquire the rights to the invention before filing patent applications for the UK, Europe and the US. As the device was being brought to the market it emerged that a similar device had been developed independently by an Australian company, and was already on sale in a chain of British chemists. Investigations revealed, however, that the Australian company had failed to patent its product beyond Australia, and had to relinquish its rights in those markets.

A wide variety of means are available to protect IP, ranging from the assertion copyright, seeking a patent, or registering a design, trade- or service- mark and, increasingly, a domain name. It is important to consider whether it is adequate to protect the invention in the UK only, in Europe or the rest of the world as well.

We can advise on exploitation of IP before formal registration and has considerable experience in representing both the inventors of new IP and those who exploit it, and of working with Chartered Patent Agents and other non-legal specialists in the field.

Contact Aberdeen Office
Tom Rennie	01224 428000
Contact Inverurie Office
Graham Matthews	01467 672800
Contact Huntly Office
Alexander Mitchell	01466 792101
Contact Keith Office
Alexander Mitchell	01542 882537
Contact Alford Office
Linda Purkis	019755 62939