Intellectual property law

The rights that protect our clients’ innovations, creativity and brands are often their key assets and critical to retaining their competitive edge. They trust us to help them identify, protect and exploit these rights in an increasingly complex and challenging environment. At Browne Jacobson, we make the complex simple and focus on providing pragmatic advice that gets straight to the solution.

Our award-winning intellectual property lawyers across the UK and Ireland advise on the full range of rights from patents, confidential information and designs to trade marks and copyright. Our team is ranked by World Trademark Review, Managing Intellectual Property and IAM Patent 1000, Chambers and Legal 500.

We regularly negotiate high-value R&D agreements and complex licensing agreements and are known for taking on high stakes IP disputes for major corporates on a national and international scale.

Most IP rights are territorial in nature, and we’re well equipped to handle the international aspects of portfolio management, exploitation and enforcement. We can quickly and cost effectively instruct and co-ordinate foreign lawyers and IP attorneys through our close global relationships with patent and trade mark attorneys, and through Pangea Net, a non-exclusive, international network of independent law firms.

What we do

Advise on IP strategy, protection and clearance - we help you to protect your investment and to secure or maintain a competitive advantage by advising on the identification, capturing, clearance and protection of your IP. 
IP transactions and licensing – we help you maximise the value of your IP assets through licensing and other IP agreements and ensure you get the best deal by guiding you through the negotiations.
Dispute resolution – we help you to enforce and defend your IP rights through a range of services including infringement proceedings and interim injunction applications, mediation and alternative dispute resolution and opinion work.

Chambers 2025

"The team provide exceptional technical expertise across all areas of IP and are very prompt in their correspondence."

Legal 500 EMEA 2025

"The team is energetic and enthusiastic, bringing together many strengths from other firms."

A Ward Limited: patents

Successfully enforcing the patents of global bulk material handler, A Ward Limited, through the UK Intellectual Property Enterprise Court, deploying the then newly created UK doctrine of equivalents.

Cloud-based customer intelligence platform: in respect of a patent infringement and validity and breach of confidence

Advised the provider of a cloud-based customer intelligence platform in respect of a patent infringement and validity and breach of confidence dispute in which our client was the claimant. This involved a large number of complex issues surrounding infringement, validity, patentable subject matter and amendment of a software patent. A corresponding European Patent was being opposed in the EPO at the same time.

Match and Tinder: trade mark infringement

Assisted Match and Tinder to win at trial in their trade mark infringement proceedings against Muzmatch.

Wolverhampton FC: logo

Successfully defended Wolverhampton FC at trial in a High Court infringement claim concerning its iconic and longstanding wolf head logo.

Advertising and marketing

AI regulation and governance

Anti-counterfeiting

Artificial intelligence

Complex licensing, R&D and collaboration

Data protection and privacy

Designs

Information law

Research, knowledge transfer and digital innovation in higher education

Trade marks

Trade secrets and confidential information

IP Assess

Product

"Intellectual property assessment app for businesses. Our free, no-obligation quick assessment app is designed to help you gain insight into the strengths and risks of your intellectual property position."

Download now

Instant In-house

Product

"Instant In-house is a bespoke retainer product which provides you with instant access to a team of our lawyers for a fixed monthly fee. Instant In-house gives you the certainty on your monthly legal spend, whilst offering a greater breadth of expertise, more flexibility and less of the admin typically involved when instructing lawyers."

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Legal 500 EMEA 2025

"Browne Jacobson actively looks for the most efficient and effective ways to achieve desired outcomes. Their in-depth experience helped us to navigate numerous strands of an important multi-jurisdiction IP item, reducing potential exposures and landing all parties in a mutually beneficial place."

Legal 500 EMEA 2025

"Browne Jacobson Ireland LLP’s intellectual property practice is unmatched, offering a unique combination of top legal expertise and genuine client engagement."

Chambers 2025

"Browne Jacobson displays a high level of competence with all areas of trade mark law, including complex matters. The service level at Browne Jacobson is extremely high."

Chambers 2025

"The team provide exceptional technical expertise across all areas of IP and are very prompt in their correspondence."

Intellectual property laws define and safeguard rights to inventions, designs, brands, and creative works, preventing unauthorised use or reproduction. These regulations empower creators to protect their innovations and original works.

To claim intellectual property rights, you typically need to register your creation with the appropriate authorities. For patents and trademarks, this involves filing with the Intellectual Property Office (IPO), while copyright protection is granted automatically, without the need to apply. The process involves submitting necessary documentation, paying fees, and maintaining detailed records of your creation's development and originality to strengthen your claim to intellectual property rights.

Intellectual property ownership can differ depending on legal rules and agreements. Typically, creators initially own the rights, but they can transfer ownership through contracts or employment terms. IP creation and use laws and agreements ultimately decide ownership.