BREXIT proof IP solutions – trademark and design protection

For those of our clients who sell (or plan to sell) into the UK, they may have been wondering recently where Brexit will leave their EU trade mark and registered Community design protection.  We will of course be monitoring the situation but have confirmed with our UK associates that the UK government’s present intention is that, where they are:

§ registered at Brexit, owners will automatically be granted a ‘cloned’ (equivalent) UK registration; and

§ pending at Brexit, owners can request (on payment of a fee) that the UK Intellectual Property Office create a cloned UK application.

Assuming that the UK government implements this policy, in order to ensure a seamless service for our clients, our UK associates will come on record for their new UK registrations immediately on Brexit.  For those clients with applications pending at Brexit, we will contact them to discuss their options.

In other words, our clients may rest assured that we will take all necessary steps to ensure that their intellectual property rights are appropriately protected in the UK when Brexit occurs.

In the meantime, should you have any further queries about how Brexit may impact your business or your rights in the UK, please contact our office and we can advise.

Our partner in the United Kingdom is Mark Corran, Solicitor – Expert on IP matters