Intellectual property strategy fuels international growth for Chameleon Technology

Chameleon Technology is leading the way in energy display technology, with 1 in 3 UK homes and 9 out of 10 energy suppliers using their in-home displays to monitor and manage energy consumption. Chameleon has delivered over 10 million in-home displays to date – an industry record – and has also been entrusted with over £7 million of innovation funding from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero for future low-carbon solutions.

Seeking to further strengthen its dominance in the energy sector, Chameleon launched a new direct to consumer brand called ivie in 2022. Ideal for homeowners concerned about their energy use, ivie offers the latest version of an in-home display – the ivie Bud – that also connects to the free ivie App. Together they help users identify ways to reduce energy spend in the household. ivie users have been found to have reduced their electricity use by 18% and their gas use by 24% on average.

With the successful introduction of the ivie brand, safeguarding its intellectual property rights became a top priority for Chameleon. Wendi Higgins, the company's General Counsel, sought legal advice from Lindsay Gledhill, an intellectual property partner at Harper James. Lindsay has worked closely with Wendi for many years, overseeing Chameleon's intellectual property strategy.

Lindsay helped Wendi identify intellectual property rights related to the ivie brand and advised Wendi that they should protect the rights by securing trade marks in key jurisdictions such as the UK, Europe, and Australia. Taking a proactive approach to brand protection ensures that Chameleon will be able to confidently invest in the ivie brand without the risk of infringement proceedings or the need to go through an expensive rebranding exercise.

Shortly after Lindsay applied for trade marks for the ivie brand, Chameleon received trade mark oppositions from large European businesses operating in the automotive and renewable energy industries. Lindsay successfully negotiated with the legal representatives and came to a compromise that worked for both parties.

Wendi says:

As a one-person team, I knew we would need some help for our intellectual property needs. Lindsay has been acting as an extension of my own team and with her help, we have been able to see off oppositions and defend them within budget and without the need for litigation.

Since registering their intellectual property rights, Lindsay and the intellectual property team have provided ongoing support to Chameleon, advising them on their international strategy and identifying and successfully opposing trade mark applications made by potential competitors.

Highlighting what it has been like to work with Wendi and Chameleon Technology, Lindsay says:

I am deeply grateful for the long-standing relationship of trust that I've been able to build with Chameleon over the past decade. It's a privilege to be part of their journey and the fact that Chameleon's work directly helps the UK reach Net Zero is inspirational for us here at Harper James. We've developed a sophisticated strategy, defending the position where we need to but always open to sensible compromise and to procedural workarounds that get everyone where they need to be.