Intellectual Property Articles

Expert articles and practical legal guides on intellectual property for uk businesses.

Business Exit Strategy Planning In The UK: Options And Legal Steps For SMEs

Business Exit Strategy Planning In The UK: Options And Legal Steps For SMEs

If you’re building a small business or startup, it’s easy to treat an exit as a “future you” problem. But thinking about your business exit strategy early often makes day-to-day decisions simpler...

28 February 2026
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Business Contract Legal Services: What UK SMEs Should Know Before Signing

Business Contract Legal Services: What UK SMEs Should Know Before Signing

You’ve finally got the deal on the table. Maybe it’s a new supplier who can scale with you, a major customer ready to sign, a tech partner who can accelerate product development,...

27 February 2026
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Trademark Advice For UK Startups: Protect Your Brand And Avoid Mistakes

Trademark Advice For UK Startups: Protect Your Brand And Avoid Mistakes

When you’re building a startup or small business, your brand isn’t just a logo or a name - it’s the shortcut customers use to recognise you, trust you, and choose you over...

27 February 2026
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Unregistered Design Rights: Protection And Enforcement In The UK

Unregistered Design Rights: Protection And Enforcement In The UK

If you run a product-based business, chances are you’ve invested real time (and money) into how your products look - the shape of a bottle, the lines of a chair, the pattern...

27 February 2026
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Domino’s-Style Franchising in the UK: Key Legal Considerations

Domino’s-Style Franchising in the UK: Key Legal Considerations

Franchising can be a brilliant way to grow a business (or buy into one) without building everything from scratch. When people look into Domino’s franchising, they’re often looking for a “big-system” franchise...

26 February 2026
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How To Register A Logo As A UK Trade Mark: Step-By-Step Guide

How To Register A Logo As A UK Trade Mark: Step-By-Step Guide

Your logo is often the first thing customers remember about your business. It’s what ends up on your website, packaging, social media, invoices, and (hopefully) a lot of happy customer photos. So...

26 February 2026
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Outsourcing Agreement UK: Key Terms, Risks, And What To Include

Outsourcing Agreement UK: Key Terms, Risks, And What To Include

Outsourcing can be a game-changer for small businesses. It can help you scale quickly, access specialist skills, and keep costs predictable. But outsourcing also comes with a big reality check: you’re handing...

26 February 2026
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How To Search Copyright Records In The UK

How To Search Copyright Records In The UK

If you run a small business, it’s completely normal to assume there’s a single “database” you can check to confirm whether something is copyrighted. But here’s the tricky bit: in the UK,...

26 February 2026
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Software Licence Agreement (UK): Key Clauses & Common Business Pitfalls

Software Licence Agreement (UK): Key Clauses & Common Business Pitfalls

If your business builds software, sells software, buys software, or even just subscribes to it, you’re dealing with licensing (whether you realise it or not). A solid software licence agreement is one...

26 February 2026
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How To Use The Registered Trademark Symbol (®) In The UK

How To Use The Registered Trademark Symbol (®) In The UK

If you’ve ever seen a small circle with an “R” in it next to a brand name, logo, or product name, you’ve seen the registered trademark symbol (®) - sometimes called the...

26 February 2026
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How To Use The UKIPO Classification Tool To Choose Trademark Classes In The UK

How To Use The UKIPO Classification Tool To Choose Trademark Classes In The UK

If you’re applying for a UK trade mark, choosing the right classes can feel like the most confusing part of the whole process. You might know what your brand is, what you...

26 February 2026
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Software Licensing In The UK: Key Terms, Risks And Contract Clauses

Software Licensing In The UK: Key Terms, Risks And Contract Clauses

Whether you’re running a growing eCommerce store, a professional services firm, or a startup building your own tech stack, software licences are probably part of your day-to-day. You might be paying for...

26 February 2026
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Franchise Model Explained: How It Works, Key Documents And Risks In The UK

Franchise Model Explained: How It Works, Key Documents And Risks In The UK

Franchising can be a smart way to grow a business (or start one) without reinventing the wheel. If you’ve built a brand people love, the franchise model can let you scale faster...

26 February 2026
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How Franchising Works In the UK: Legal Essentials

How Franchising Works In the UK: Legal Essentials

Franchising can feel like the best of both worlds: you grow your brand faster than you could on your own, while franchisees invest their time and money to open and run locations...

26 February 2026
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How To Trademark A Name In the UK: Step-By-Step Process

How To Trademark A Name In the UK: Step-By-Step Process

If you’ve spent time (and money) building a brand name, you’ll want to protect it properly. One of the most common questions we hear from small business owners is how to trade...

26 February 2026
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Key Business Contracts Every UK SME Should Have

Key Business Contracts Every UK SME Should Have

When you’re running a small business, it’s easy to focus on the exciting parts - winning customers, building your product, hiring your first team member, and finally seeing revenue come in. But...

25 February 2026
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Can You Buy A Trademark In The UK? Buying And Assigning Trademarks

Can You Buy A Trademark In The UK? Buying And Assigning Trademarks

If you’ve built a business (or you’re about to), you already know your brand is one of your most valuable assets. Sometimes the quickest way to secure a brand name isn’t to...

25 February 2026
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How To License Intellectual Property Safely And Profitably In The UK

How To License Intellectual Property Safely And Profitably In The UK

If you’ve built something valuable - a brand, a product design, a software tool, a training program, a set of images, or even a new piece of technology - you’ve probably wondered...

25 February 2026
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UK Patent Rights: What They Protect, How To Get, And Enforce Them

UK Patent Rights: What They Protect, How To Get, And Enforce Them

If you’re building something genuinely new - a product, a process, a piece of tech, or a clever way of manufacturing or delivering services - you’ve probably wondered whether you can stop...

25 February 2026
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Engagement Letter Template: What To Include And When You Need One

Engagement Letter Template: What To Include And When You Need One

If you’re running a small business, you probably hire people and suppliers all the time - accountants, consultants, marketers, developers, agencies, freelancers, even specialist advisers for one-off projects. And when things are...

24 February 2026
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Registering Trade Marks Internationally: Madrid Protocol Explained Simply

Registering Trade Marks Internationally: Madrid Protocol Explained Simply

If you’re trading internationally - or planning to - you’ll want to make sure your trade mark is protected in the countries where you operate. A UK trade mark registration generally protects...

24 February 2026
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International Trademark Registration For UK Businesses: Protect Your Brand Overseas

International Trademark Registration For UK Businesses: Protect Your Brand Overseas

If your UK business is starting to sell overseas (or you’re even just planning to), your brand can quickly become one of your most valuable assets. The tricky part is this: trade...

24 February 2026
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Key Contract Terms And Pitfalls Businesses Should Check Before Signing

Key Contract Terms And Pitfalls Businesses Should Check Before Signing

When you’re running a small business, signing a contract can feel like a quick admin task between sales calls, deliveries, payroll and everything else. But a contract is often where your risk...

24 February 2026
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When Startups Need Legal Help: Startup Lawyers in the UK

When Startups Need Legal Help: Startup Lawyers in the UK

Starting a business is exciting - until you hit your first “wait… is this legally okay?” moment. Maybe you’re bringing on a co-founder, building a product with a developer, signing your first...

23 February 2026
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