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About IP Law

With the laws around Intellectual Property and Information Technology changing all the time, keeping pace is hard enough. But knowing the law isn’t enough. You need to know what those changes are going to mean for your clients. The big picture, the fine detail, the impact and the next steps.

Copyright

Practical information about copyright, moral rights, performers’ rights and rights in performances. Get precedent copyright assignments and licences here.

Trade marks

Practical information about trade marks, passing off, geographical indications and anti-counterfeiting. Get precedent trade mark assignments and licences here.

Patents

Practical information about patents and supplementary protection certificates. Get precedent patent assignments and licences here.

IP disputes

Get guidance on strategic and practical steps for dealing with IP disputes, including ways of trying to avoid them in the first place. Our case analysis highlights points from judgments so you can be confident at work.

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Associated legal terms

European patent

A European patent is a patent which is granted under the European Patent Convention.

Priority Date

/prʌɪˈɒrɪti/ /deɪt/

The priority date is the point from which a patent application is examined for novelty and inventive step. The priority date is usually the same as the application date, but it can be back-date up to one year before the application date.

Small and Micro business

(1) This section applies where any subordinate legislation made by a Minister of the Crown (the “underlying provision”)— (a) uses the term “small business” or “micro business”, and (b) defines that term by reference to this section. (2) In the underlying provision “small business” means an undertaking other than a micro business (see subsection (3)) which meets the following conditions (“the small business size conditions”)— (a) it has a headcount of staff of less than 50, and (b) it has— (i) a turnover, or (ii) a balance sheet total, of an amount less than or equal to the small business threshold. (3) In the underlying provision “micro business” means an undertaking which meets the following conditions (“the micro business size conditions”)— (a) it has a headcount of staff of less than 10, and (b) it has— (i) a turnover, or (ii) a balance sheet total, of an amount less than or equal to the micro business threshold. (4) The Secretary of State may by regulations (referred to as “the small and micro business regulations”) make further provision about the meanings of “small business” and “micro business”. (5) This section and the small and micro business regulations are to be read subject to any modifications made by the underlying provision in any particular case.
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