Posts by Vicki Strachan

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…

Registered designs protect the outward appearance of a product (as opposed to patents, which protect innovative technical concepts and functionality). For this reason, they are often considered to be ‘weaker’ intellectual property rights. However, even if you have a patent application pending, the potential power of registered designs should not be overlooked…especially for consumer products.…

Copyright is an intellectual property right usually associated with artistic creations like novels and feature films.  We all know that things like that cannot be copied without consequence.  But what does it mean to us, as business owners, rather than authors and film producers?  The answer is A LOT, and its value shouldn’t be overlooked…