IP in M&A

IP in M&A

When businesses are bought or sold, or assets reorganised within a corporate group, it is important that intellectual property (IP) issues are considered and addressed so that businesses can continue to operate normally and without disruption. In some cases IP will be critical to the operation of a business, and in others IP will play a more ancillary role. There are almost no cases where a business will not rely on any IP rights or use no material subject to IP protection in its wider operations.

IP as a business asset

IP is first and foremost a form of property, and is a key asset for many businesses. How critical a role that IP plays in the success of a business will depend both on the nature of the business and the nature of the IP. A business engaged in producing consumer products will depend heavily on trade marks and rights in passing off to protect their brand and position in the market. For some businesses their core value may come from ownership of patents giving them a monopoly over a particular inventive product or process. For other businesses,

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Latest IP News

IP weekly highlights—19 June 2025

Welcome to this week’s edition of the IP weekly highlights: a hand-picked summary of news analysis, updates and new content from the world of IP. These highlights focus on the key rights of copyright and associated rights, database rights, trade marks and passing off, designs, and patents as well as covering issues relating to confidential information, know-how R&D and IP disputes all mainly from a UK and European perspective.

UPC backs sales ban on Kits infringing 10x Genomics Patent

Law360: The Unified Patent Court's (UPC) Local Düsseldorf Division has ruled that Curio Bioscience's Seeker Spatial Mapping Kits infringed patents by 10x Genomics, upholding an injunction against the U.S. biotech company's rival in Germany, France and Sweden.

Data (Use and Access) Bill to receive Royal Assent on 19 June 2025

The Data (Use and Access) Bill (DUA) is set to receive Royal Assent and become an Act of Parliament on Thursday 19 June 2025. This follows its parliamentary review being finalised on 11 June 2025 and marks the culmination of nearly eight months of parliamentary procedure. Under section 139 of the DUA, most provisions will come into force as and when the Secretary of State appoints regulations. However, a limited number of provisions will come into force upon Royal Assent. This includes section 78, which relates to reasonable and proportionate searches for data subject access requests. It also includes sections 126–128 on the retention of biometric data, and schedule 16 on the grant of energy smart meter communication licences.

IPO publishes Wave 4 counterfeit goods consumer research findings

The Intellectual Property Office (IPO) has published its fourth wave of counterfeit goods research on 17 June 2025, examining UK consumer purchasing behaviors and attitudes. The research, conducted between June-August 2023, surveyed 5,072 UK adults and included qualitative research with 64 participants. The report, licensed under Open Government Licence v3.0, found that 24% of respondents had knowingly purchased counterfeit goods, with younger consumers under 45 being the most active purchasers. The findings will inform future IPO policy and communications strategies regarding counterfeit goods.