Posts by Vicki Strachan

…and how can it help your IP Strategy? What is an NDA? ‘NDA’ stands for ‘Non Disclosure Agreement’, and is often used interchangeably with ‘Confidentiality Agreement’.  It is a contract between you and one or more other parties, setting out the conditions under which confidential information will be shared between you.  Types of NDA There…

A transition across the global landscape toward knowledge-based economies has led policymakers to prioritise unlocking intangible asset funding. So what can you do to give yourself the best chance of successfully financing your innovation with IP? Facts and figures A study performed by merchant bank Ocean Tomo found that, in 2020, 90% of the value…

It is true to say that China’s intellectual property regime has earned a bad reputation in the past. And its reputation for copying others’ products and selling them for less is even worse. Which has led many innovators to think, “it isn’t worth patenting my invention in China”. However, that is changing for the better…

Know-how, confidential information and trade secrets, are not, strictly speaking, intellectual property rights. However, there is some overlap, and they tend to be treated in much the same way as formal IP rights when it comes to valuing or selling a company, so they are often referenced in the same breath. Trade secrets, in particular,…

Of course, many SMEs do understand the value of patents, and routinely file patent applications to protect their innovation. However, UK innovators are lagging behind those in many other countries when it comes to patent ownership. Perhaps it is no surprise that Japan is one of the leading patent filers of the world, but UK…

It is a common myth that software inventions are not patentable in the UK and Europe, but this simply isn’t true. It is true to say that computer software per se is not patentable in the UK and Europe (and many other countries around the world). BUT that does not mean that computer-implemented inventions can’t…

If you follow my blogs, you’ll have heard me say that your intellectual property rights allow you to stop others from copying your innovation and muscling in on your market share. BUT, if someone does copy you, you have to take action to stop them. You might think that enforcing your IP rights always has…

…and are you maximising the value you’re getting for your money? I am often asked ‘why do patents cost so much…?’. Unfortunately, there is no one simple answer, but I thought I’d try and explain a little bit, and also provide some tips on how to help you make sure that you understand the value…

In a previous blog, I reported the imminent start of the Unified Patent Court (UPC) and explained the basics in relation to the UPC and the Unitary Patent (UP).   I can now report that the UPC’s Administrative Committee has confirmed its timetable for the start of the UPC and availability of Unitary Patents. When? Germany…