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Business Legal Services
Intellectual Property Licensing
Exploit the benefits of intellectual property licensing with legal support that future-proofs your business.
Your intellectual property is one of your most valuable business assets. Commercialise intellectual property in the right way for your business with an IP licensing strategy lead by our experts.
Experts in intellectual property law
Our team can assist you across all areas of intellectual property law, including:
Intellectual Property Licensing Solicitors
Commercialisation of intellectual property rights by licensing
Our team of intellectual property solicitors can support you with:
Advice on intellectual property licensing that ties in with your broader business strategy
Tap into existing intellectual property from third parties with the right agreement in place to secure your
Defining parameters of the relevant IP and help to identify who owns it
Drafting documents in relation to licensing of intellectual property rights, from simple assignments and licences to complex joint development agreements
Fee structure set out in the licence
Licensing out intellectual property to third parties generating a new revenue stream
Licensing in permitting you the use of third-party intellectual property that would not otherwise be available to you, saving time and money on research and development
IP asset purchases as well as joint research and development projects and mergers and acquisitions
Negotiations such as royalty structures
Intra-group licensing helping you avoid unregulated sharing of intellectual property
Cross-border licensing and advice on how intellectual property licence agreements should be interpreted in that jurisdiction
Sub-licensing
Establishing a franchising network transferring ownership of intellectual property by way of assignment
Registration at the UK Intellectual Property Office or the EU Patent Office affording you certain protections
Essentials of licensing intellectual property
Getting the right legal support with intellectual property and licensing means that you will avoid common pitfalls and get the essentials right, first time.
Working with you to understand your business needs, we will help you answer the following questions when drafting an intellectual property licence agreement to ensure long-term commercial benefit:
- Has the description of the intellectual property been clearly defined?
- Has ownership of the IP been clearly established and is the licensor confident that they have the right to license the IP?
- What will the duration of the licence be?
- What type of licence will be granted – exclusive, non-exclusive or sole?
- What fee structure will be set out in the licence?
- What restrictions apply to the use of the IP?
- Will the licensee have the right to modify or develop the IP?
- Is the licensee permitted to sub-license the IP?
- May the licence agreement be assigned to a third party?
- Does the licence agreement include any warranties?
- What will happen if things go wrong? Does the licence include any indemnities in respect of potential losses that may be suffered by each party?
- What remedies are provided for under the licence agreement?
- Can the terms of the intellectual property licence agreement be varied by the parties? If so, how?
Benefits
What are the benefits of licensing intellectual property?
Safeguard your own innovations
Gain a competitive edge by licensing product and service advancements developed by your in-house team.
Save time and money
Reduce time spent on research and development with access to existing intellectual property that gets you to market quicker.
Access new tech and boost business credibility
Tap into existing intellectual property from third parties with the right agreement in place to secure your
Take the weight off your shoulders with shared risk
Develop product innovations without the risk of manufacturing, marketing and selling the product. With the right licence agreement in place you could be selling products that help scale your business without running the risk and incurring the cost of product research and development.
Create new revenue streams
By licensing intellectual property to other organisations, you generate additional revenue.
Improve your ability to move into other markets
Take advantage where a pre-existing owner of IP is logistically unable to move into other territories and enter into a licensing agreement that gives you the opportunity to move into that market.
Who we help
We support a wide range of UK-based clients in innovative businesses where the effective protection and utilisation of intellectual property is crucial, such as creative industries, retail and luxury brands, manufacturing and engineering and emerging technologies. We advise clients of all types, from university spinouts and start-ups to SMEs and large multi-nationals.
Testimonials
What our clients say
We pride ourselves on delivering an excellent service for clients, but don’t just take our word for it.
Harper James has been invaluable. They drafted the relevant agreements and gave us sound legal advice in an area that we did not have prior experience in. As a start-up, having advice and feedback from an organisation that specialises in early-stage enterprises was instrumental in us having the confidence to push forward with our product
Dean Bryan
Co-Founder,
Yyoma
Amanda and Gemma were extremely accommodating at the lack of time we could dedicate to supporting the trademark applications and utilised the data we supplied to complete the applications in a speedy timeframe which was very much appreciated.
Jenny James
COO,
Findr Global
Easy to work with, quick responses, quick feedback if changes needed, gets things done. We consider the arrangement very worthwhile for Storelectric and would recommend to others.
Tallat Azad
MD,
Storelectric
Harper James have become a vital part of our business. We get quality advice from experienced solicitors at prices that other firms do not appear to be able to match.
Veejay Lingiah
CEO,
Flash Sticks
My colleagues and I have found them to be adept at dealing with the variety of challenges facing early stage companies. They are a trusted source for sound, sensible advice and practical deal management.
Jill Shaw
CEO,
Anvil Semiconductors
The advice set out in Rob’s initial IP audit has helped us create a clear road map for our IP. It has also strengthened our case to get the follow-on grant and with that now secured, I look forward to working with Harper James on the next phase of our IP strategy.
Lucy Fenn
Head of Communications,
eWATERservices
The solicitors I worked with were very knowledgeable about trade marks and they had prepared for our call, they explained our options to me in a very easy to understand way, they answered all my questions swiftly and they were clear and open about the costs.
Alexandra Macleod
Executive Assistant,
Evotra
Harper James has been invaluable. They drafted the relevant agreements and gave us sound legal advice in an area that we did not have prior experience in. As a start-up, having advice and feedback from an organisation that specialises in early-stage enterprises was instrumental in us having the confidence to push forward with our product
Dean Bryan
Co-Founder,
Yyoma
Amanda and Gemma were extremely accommodating at the lack of time we could dedicate to supporting the trademark applications and utilised the data we supplied to complete the applications in a speedy timeframe which was very much appreciated.
Jenny James
COO,
Findr Global
Easy to work with, quick responses, quick feedback if changes needed, gets things done. We consider the arrangement very worthwhile for Storelectric and would recommend to others.
Tallat Azad
MD,
Storelectric
Harper James have become a vital part of our business. We get quality advice from experienced solicitors at prices that other firms do not appear to be able to match.
Veejay Lingiah
CEO,
Flash Sticks
My colleagues and I have found them to be adept at dealing with the variety of challenges facing early stage companies. They are a trusted source for sound, sensible advice and practical deal management.
Jill Shaw
CEO,
Anvil Semiconductors
The advice set out in Rob’s initial IP audit has helped us create a clear road map for our IP. It has also strengthened our case to get the follow-on grant and with that now secured, I look forward to working with Harper James on the next phase of our IP strategy.
Lucy Fenn
Head of Communications,
eWATERservices
The solicitors I worked with were very knowledgeable about trade marks and they had prepared for our call, they explained our options to me in a very easy to understand way, they answered all my questions swiftly and they were clear and open about the costs.
Alexandra Macleod
Executive Assistant,
Evotra
Why choose Harper James Solicitors?
We can assist you with strategic analysis of your IP portfolio and support you with all your licensing requirements – from the licensing in of business-critical software to careful licensing out of your intellectual property.
Our IP licensing solicitors have a wealth of experience in successful IP strategy, IP exploitation and IP dispute resolution. We are experienced in identifying, protecting, exploiting and policing clients’ rights under extensive intellectual property portfolios.
Plus, we have all been recruited from top 100 UK law firms or from large international businesses and have advised clients both as external advisors and as in-house IP/brand management counsel. Find out more about the team here:
Pricing plans
Legal support designed
to fit your business needs
Our three transparent pricing packages are designed to give you the widest possible access to high-quality legal advice, whatever the size and nature of your business:
City
Straightforward access to senior solicitors at a competitive rate.
An affordable solution for businesses needing one-off legal support. Receive ‘City’ partner-level expertise at a fraction of ‘City’ prices.
Enterprise
Have legal peace of mind for £209 per month with additional support from £140 per hour.
A monthly subscription legal support package specifically designed for start-ups and smaller businesses.
On-Demand
Providing you with priority access to a dedicated panel of highly experienced solicitors.
Fully account managed quarterly subscription service for businesses with more complex legal needs.