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Business Legal Services
Intellectual Property Strategy
Service overview: IP strategy solicitors
Intellectual property (IP) is a business asset and you need a comprehensive plan to protect it and maximise its value. Defining and developing an IP strategy for your company may consist of identifying the best form of protection, plus leverage to exploit your IP assets. Our IP strategy solicitors can holistically review your portfolio and provide legal advice on the best forms of protection and exploitation across various international jurisdictions. Patents aren’t always the best protection strategy for all your IP: you’ll need to consider other methods like trade marks, trade secrets, registered designs or utility models.
Experts in intellectual property
Our team can assist you across all areas of intellectual property strategy, including:
What we do: Intellectual property strategy solicitors
Protecting your intellectual property is one of the most important aspects of your business. Your patents, trade marks and copyright material should all be properly protected to avoid future complications and maximise your company value.
If you’re new to the world of intellectual property rights, you might not have the information you need, or may have been misinformed about intellectual property protection. This can make the process needlessly expensive and leave your most important assets in a vulnerable state.
Our intellectual property solicitors and other IP specialists can offer you a unique intellectual property strategy for your business, in advance of any protection, to help avoid this and control the overall cost. We’ll look at which rights are most valuable, appropriate and cost-effective for your business objectives, for your business internationally and the potential costs right from the start of the process, so you’re clear on the range of intellectual property rights you should have in place up front.
Each form of intellectual property right serves a different purpose. Our intellectual property strategy solicitors are experts in many different indicators, including:
- Patents
- Utility models
- Design protection
- Copyright
- Databases
- Open source software
- Trade marks
- Trade secrets
As part of our strategic advice, we conduct prior art searches to help define the specific novelty in your intellectual property and address any ‘freedom to operate’ issues.
We’ll explain in simple terms how intellectual property protection will serve your business interests and your commercial objectives.
Existing IP portfolio reviews and audits
If you already have intellectual property rights, we’ll audit your existing rights (including terms of intellectual property related agreements) and advise on improvements, savings and ongoing management.
If your business is an SME, you may be eligible for funding from the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) for an IP audit. You will need to apply for funding through one of the IPO’s IP audit partners (Enterprise Europe Network, Scottish Enterprise or the Welsh Government). If you are eligible, the IPO will contribute £2,600 for your IP audit, meaning you would only pay £400. Our IP strategy lawyers can help you with this.
International IP strategy advice
Our intellectual property strategy solicitors will assess the best jurisdiction for filing your intellectual property and plan a strategy to anticipate your company’s growth internationally. We’ll estimate the cost of that strategy up front so you’re clear on the costs and what’s required.
Who we help
We work with all types of businesses that have IP, from start-ups to large corporations – whether they’re just in the development stages of IP, or they have existing IP portfolios to manage and protect.
Some of the sectors our IP strategy lawyers specialise in include:
- High-growth technology companies
- Research organisations
- Innovative major retail brands
- Investors
Whether you need help to identify your IP, establishing IP ownership, enforcing your rights or making money from your IP, we can help.
You don’t have to have a patentable invention either – we work with many companies that need other IP protection such as trade marks, design rights, copyright protection and even image rights.
Testimonials
What our clients say
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
Twipes really felt as though we were being treated personally, rather than just customers: that is the great Harper James Experience.
Alborz Bozorgi
Co-Founder,
Twipes
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
First class service - initial advice very good and then delivery on said advice. Wasn't a complicated request but can't fault the service and Lindsay would always be my go to contact for any legal work in the UK
Bruce Haxton
Founder,
The Tuk Tuk Club
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
I was searching for affordable legal support, and the subscription service allowed me to access legal support when I didn’t think it would be possible. This way I didn’t have to rely on Google! And it’s really important that businesses get the right advice at the start, so they don’t fall short at a later date
Peter Morris
Founder and Director,
Lockabox
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
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
Twipes really felt as though we were being treated personally, rather than just customers: that is the great Harper James Experience.
Alborz Bozorgi
Co-Founder,
Twipes
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
First class service - initial advice very good and then delivery on said advice. Wasn't a complicated request but can't fault the service and Lindsay would always be my go to contact for any legal work in the UK
Bruce Haxton
Founder,
The Tuk Tuk Club
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
I was searching for affordable legal support, and the subscription service allowed me to access legal support when I didn’t think it would be possible. This way I didn’t have to rely on Google! And it’s really important that businesses get the right advice at the start, so they don’t fall short at a later date
Peter Morris
Founder and Director,
Lockabox
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 as your intellectual property strategy solicitors?
Some of our IP strategy solicitors and specialists have actually been listed amongst the world’s top intellectual property strategists. Our IP strategists have worked in top 100 firms as well as in-house, advising clients in many countries and jurisdictions.
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 £215 per month with additional support from £145 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.