Intellectual Property

In an increasingly competitive world, the ability to protect and exploit intellectual property is of paramount importance.  It is no wonder that there is now a huge global focus on IP.  This, combined with a shrinking world in terms of the commercial reach of even the smallest of businesses, means that disputes are inevitable.

Given the suitability of mediation in the resolution of IP disputes, not least because of the far greater range of solutions available than if before a court, the ability to deal with common issues across several jurisdictions, speed and low cost, In Place of Strife The Mediation Chambers has developed a particular strength in this area.

Our mediators are regularly resolving disputes in the following fields:

Trade Marks and Passing off:

• Infringement/validity
• Revocation/opposition proceedings
• Switch-selling
• Royalty/account of profits/damages
• Co-existence agreements

Copyright:

• Software code
• Music/literary works
• Joint ownership
• Moral rights

Design right:

• Registered/unregistered
• UK/Community
• Similarity/common place designs
• Methods/principles of construction
• Licences of right

Patents:

• Validity/infringement
• Employee inventions

Breach of confidence:

• NDA’s
• Fiduciary obligations
• Deletion/verification exercises

Database rights:

• Infringement
• Amalgamation/mixing of data

Competition:

• Parallel imports
• Exhaustion of rights
• Distribution networks

Domain Names:

• First instance/appeals
• Protest sites

For advice on the In Place of Strife mediators with the right experience for your case, please contact our senior case manager, Joanne Claypole.