IP essentials

IP essentials

The IP essentials subtopic provides a basic overview of IP law. It is aimed at commercial lawyers not specialised in IP.

What is intellectual property?

The World Intellectual Property Office defines IP as ‘creations of the mind, such as inventions; literary and artistic works; designs; and symbols, names and images used in commerce’. Broadly, the aim of IP law is to cultivate an environment in which creativity and invention can flourish.

In the UK, IP rights are registered with the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) though there are other entities which register rights at an international level.

The four most common IP rights are: patents, trade marks, designs and copyright. Other available IP rights and associated rights include: database rights, plant variety rights, semiconductor topography rights, geographical indications, trade secrets, confidential information and know-how. There are rights to prevent passing off and protection may also be available for spare parts and image rights.

For information about the various IP rights, see Practice Notes:

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Introduction to patents
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