United Kingdom: Licensing & Syndication

A trade mark licensee is a person or business granted formal permission by a trade mark proprietor (the licensor) to use their registered trade mark.

The European Union has introduced groundbreaking changes to its design registration system, expanding beyond traditional static images to include animated and dynamic representations. These innovations offer fashion designers unprecedented flexibility in protecting clothing designs with intricate details, complex structures, and transformable features that were previously difficult to capture through conventional methods.

Before expanding, taking investment, franchising or licensing a business, it is essential to confirm that the brand is clear to use, properly owned and capable of protection in priority markets.

Intellectual property strategy is evolving from a background legal function into a critical leadership priority as intangible assets now represent over 90 percent of S&P 500 company value. Drawing on insights from IP leaders at Atlassian and Uncommon...

The Patent Mediation and Arbitration Centre of the Unified Patent Court has launched its Case Management System, offering parties a new confidential and expedited pathway for resolving patent disputes across Europe and beyond.

The HEVC Advance Patent Pool has become a focal point for standard-essential patent disputes, with major technology companies facing coordinated litigation across multiple jurisdictions. As licensors pursue enforcement through both the Unified Patent Court and national courts, questions arise about whether offered licensing terms truly meet FRAND obligations and how companies should navigate this complex multi-forum landscape.

The UKIPO's 2025 consultation on Standard Essential Patents (SEPs), announced on 15 July 2025, signals a potential policy shift in how the UK approaches SEP...

The announcement that Boddingtons Cask Ale, the iconic "Cream of Manchester", is returning to pubs across the North West has generated nostalgic excitement among beer lovers and Mancunians alike.

Recorded live at SXSW UK, this podcast brings together leading voices from the creative, legal, and technology sectors to debate whether AI is a hero or villain in the world of creativity.