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Patents & Trade Secrets

We advise clients on the protection enforcement and exploitation of their innovations

Our team of patent lawyers advises clients on all aspects of protection strategies for patentable and unpatentable technologies. A significant part of this is the protection of know-how, not only through patents (where possible or where patents would not result in making trade secrets public) but also through standard terms to be included in employee and consultant contracts. These terms are aimed at maintaining control over confidential and sensitive know-how and minimising the risk of ex-employees setting up in competition. We also advise on the enforcement and commercial exploitation of patents and know-how, including freedom to operate opinions to ensure that clients have freedom to conduct their businesses and exploit their intellectual property while navigating the rights of third parties.

Further, our Middle East practice offers a full patent filing and prosecution service. In dealing with patent applications, it is essential to combine a strong understanding of local practices and procedures with the international requirements of the overseas office that is examining the application. It is also essential to be able to deal with the application at a technical level in the local language. Accordingly, we offer this service in Arabic, in which the application is generally filed and granted, and in English in which it is generally examined.

Our Patents & Trade Secrets Work

  • All
  • Middle East
  • UK & Europe
  • Appeal from Patent Office’s refusal of a business method patent

    Conducting an appeal to the Patents Court from the UK Patent Office’s decision to refuse a patent application for placing trades at multiple stock exchanges simultaneously as being a method of doing business and/or being for a computer programme as such and so excluded from patent protection.

    United Kingdom

    Conducting series of patent actions relating to prenatal genetic tests

    Representing our clients in a long running patent infringement dispute, with revocation counterclaims, in the Patents Court relating to prenatal tests for foetal abnormalities such Downs syndrome.  Also advising on a related procurement dispute and judicial review.

    United Kingdom

    Defending validity of patent relating to nappy manufacture

    Defending the validity of a patent relating to ultrasonic bonding in the manufacture of nappies and other disposable absorbent garments in the Intellectual Property Enterprise Court and Court of Appeal.

    United Kingdom

    Entitlement claim to patents concerning vanadium redox batteries

    Bringing an action in the Intellectual Property Enterprise Court for entitlement to four patents on vanadium battery technology that our client claimed entitlement to following the breakdown of his informal partnership with the inventor.

    United Kingdom

    Patent dispute in the construction industry

    Advising a UK company on the infringement and validity of its patent related to concrete laying in a long-running dispute with a would-be competitor, including a limitation request in the EPO to strengthen its validity and obtaining a UK Patent Office opinion on the validity and infringement issues.

    United Kingdom

    Patent dispute relating to second medical use patents

    Advising our client on the validity and infringement of a series of patents for a blockbuster cancer medicine and the issues surrounding “skinny-label” generic versions

    United Kingdom

    Patent entitlement action relating to super-resolution microscopes

    Acting for a university spin-out in a Patents Court action with issues including inventorship and ownership of a number of patent families, as well as the operating software, for a nanoscale resolution microscope.

    United Kingdom

    Trade secrets and entitlement dispute concerning telecommunications equipment

    Defending an action for breach of confidence, breach of contract, copyright infringement and patent entitlement brought against our client relating to analogue electronic devices used in fibre optic telecommunications networks.

    United Kingdom

    Defending validity of patent relating to nappy manufacture

    Defending the validity of a patent relating to ultrasonic bonding in the manufacture of nappies and disposable absorbent garments in the Intellectual Property Enterprise Court

    United Kingdom

    Filing strategy advice for a government funded research centre

    Providing a leading computing research centre funded by the government of a GCC state (one of the largest producers of patentable technology in the region) with strategic advice on filing strategy and working with the client and its team of researchers and inventors to file over 50 PCT applications.

    United Arab Emirates
  • Filing strategy advice for a government funded research centre

    Providing a leading computing research centre funded by the government of a GCC state (one of the largest producers of patentable technology in the region) with strategic advice on filing strategy and working with the client and its team of researchers and inventors to file over 50 PCT applications.

    United Arab Emirates

    US patent protection for a non-profit organisation

    Advising a leading GCC non-profit organisation in relation to patent protection in the United States and the filing of US utility and provisional patent applications.

    United Arab Emirates

    Revolutionary seating concept patent for an international airline

    Advising a major GCC airline on IP ownership dispute over the design and patents of a revolutionary seating concept. Preparing new patent filing strategies and advising on related freedom to operate searches. Undertaking IP due diligence and advising on commercialisation of IP.

    United Arab Emirates

    Offshore pipeline patent and technology licensing

    Advising on patent and technology licensing advice in relation to offshore pipelines including drafting and negotiating IP licences, supply and manufacturing agreements, and advising on an NDA regime with third party suppliers.

    United Arab Emirates
  • Patent dispute in the construction industry

    Advising a UK company on the infringement and validity of its patent related to concrete laying in a long-running dispute with a would-be competitor, including a limitation request in the EPO to strengthen its validity and obtaining a UK Patent Office opinion on the validity and infringement issues.

    United Kingdom

    Appeal from Patent Office’s refusal of a business method patent

    Conducting an appeal to the Patents Court from the UK Patent Office’s decision to refuse a patent application for placing trades at multiple stock exchanges simultaneously as being a method of doing business and/or being for a computer programme as such and so excluded from patent protection.

    United Kingdom

    Trade secrets and entitlement dispute concerning telecommunications equipment

    Defending an action for breach of confidence, breach of contract, copyright infringement and patent entitlement brought against our client relating to analogue electronic devices used in fibre optic telecommunications networks.

    United Kingdom

    Patent dispute relating to second medical use patents

    Advising our client on the validity and infringement of a series of patents for a blockbuster cancer medicine and the issues surrounding “skinny-label” generic versions

    United Kingdom

    Patent entitlement action relating to super-resolution microscopes

    Acting for a university spin-out in a Patents Court action with issues including inventorship and ownership of a number of patent families, as well as the operating software, for a nanoscale resolution microscope.

    United Kingdom

    Entitlement claim to patents concerning vanadium redox batteries

    Bringing an action in the Intellectual Property Enterprise Court for entitlement to four patents on vanadium battery technology that our client claimed entitlement to following the breakdown of his informal partnership with the inventor.

    United Kingdom

    Conducting series of patent actions relating to prenatal genetic tests

    Representing our clients in a long running patent infringement dispute, with revocation counterclaims, in the Patents Court relating to prenatal tests for foetal abnormalities such Downs syndrome.  Also advising on a related procurement dispute and judicial review.

    United Kingdom

    Defending validity of patent relating to nappy manufacture

    Defending the validity of a patent relating to ultrasonic bonding in the manufacture of nappies and other disposable absorbent garments in the Intellectual Property Enterprise Court and Court of Appeal.

    United Kingdom

    Defending validity of patent relating to nappy manufacture

    Defending the validity of a patent relating to ultrasonic bonding in the manufacture of nappies and disposable absorbent garments in the Intellectual Property Enterprise Court

    United Kingdom

Our Patents & Trade Secrets team

Ralph Cox
Ralph Cox

Partner

Elizabeth Evans
Elizabeth Evans

Partner

James Holmes
James Holmes

Partner

Chris Williams
Chris Williams

Partner

Joycia Young
Joycia Young

Partner

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