United Kingdom: Intellectual Property

Crafting the scope of protection for your patent or design right relies on striking the right balance between two factors: breadth and validity. You will want to make the right as broad as possible, to capture any possible infringement and minimise the room available for someone to work around your right.

The UK Intellectual Property Office Corporate Plan 2026-2027 outlines a transformative agenda centered on digital modernisation, AI integration, and enhanced accessibility for innovators and businesses. As the final year of a multi-year strategy, the plan addresses critical challenges including system-wide digital transformation, AI policy development for copyright, and expanded support for SMEs seeking to leverage IP assets. What opportunities and transitional complexities will practitioners and rights hol

The EU General Court's decision in Crocs Inc v EUIPO reveals how even globally iconic product designs can be invalidated for lack of individual character, demonstrating that commercial success alone cannot protect intellectual property rights. This case highlights the critical need for product-as-brand businesses to implement staged IP strategies that evolve from design rights at launch to trade mark protection as brand recognition develops.

Crafting the scope of protection for your patent or design right relies on striking the right balance between two factors: breadth and validity. You will want to make the right as broad as possible, to capture any possible infringement and minimise the room available for someone to work around your right.

Standard-essential patent disputes reveal a fundamental tension between territorial patent rights and global technology markets. While patents are enforced nationally, the standards they protect operate across borders, triggering parallel proceedings in multiple jurisdictions. FRAND arbitration offers a potentially coherent alternative by allowing parties to place international SEP portfolios before a single specialist tribunal, though questions of consent, validity, competition law and enforceability compl

作为现代知识产权制度的重要发源地，英国商标法律制度历史悠久、体系成熟，在全球商标保护体系中具有重要示范意义。当前英国商标保护以《1994年商标法》 为核心，辅以《2008年商标规则》 、英国知识产权局（简称“UKIPO”）发布的《商标审查实务手册》 以及相关指南与规则...

Edinburgh Napier University and South of Scotland Enterprise have partnered to launch Bike Innovation Scotland, establishing the Caerlee Mill Bike Campus in Innerleithen. The facility will provide state-of-the-art testing and innovation support for the cycling and mountain biking sector, featuring specialized labs for trail testing and human performance research.

Crafting the scope of protection for your patent or design right relies on striking the right balance between two factors: breadth and validity. You will want to make the right as broad as possible, to capture any possible infringement and minimise the room available for someone to work around your right.

A new report from ITU, WHO, and WIPO reveals how AI-health innovators can transform breakthrough technologies into scalable healthcare solutions through integrated intellectual property strategies. The guidance explores the intersection of patents, trade secrets, regulatory approvals, and data governance in building commercially viable AI-enabled medical innovations.

The Court of Appeal has upheld a High Court finding of breach of confidence and misuse of trade secrets in Illiquidx Ltd v Altana Wealth & Ors [2026] EWCA Civ 874. In doing so it rejected the arguments that information loses protection because some of its constituent elements were already publicly available.

A new report from ITU, WHO, and WIPO reveals how AI-health innovators can transform breakthrough technologies into scalable healthcare solutions through integrated intellectual property strategies. The guidance explores the intersection of patents, trade secrets, regulatory approvals, and data governance in building commercially viable AI-enabled medical innovations.

Artificial intelligence offers tremendous potential for innovation and efficiency in intellectual property work, but using AI tools carelessly can inadvertently destroy patent rights, breach confidentiality, and compromise legal privilege.