Austin’s Intellectual Property team provides a complete range of services for domestic companies seeking to protect and exploit their intellectual property. We recognise that our clients’ patents, trademarks, business names, copyrights, proprietary technology and trade secrets are among their most valuable assets. Therefore, in addition to securing patents, trademarks and copyrights and instituting programs to prevent the loss of trade secrets, we assist clients in exploiting intellectual property rights through licensing, as well as joint venture and technology transfer agreements.  Working in tandem with our commercial litigation team, we enforce and protect our clients’ patent, trademark and copyright rights in the UK and abroad and we also counsel clients concerning the validity and valuation of intellectual property when faced with potential acquisition, threat of infringement claims or infringement by others.

Austin's Intellectual Property team regularly advices on;

• drafting and enforcing confidentiality agreements;
• advising on misuse of confidential information, trade secrets;
• drafting and advising on licensing agreements;
• drafting and advising on brand exploitation and celebrity endorsement agreements;
• advice on comparative advertising;
• passing off and trademark infringement claims;
• design right, and registered design protection and exploitation;
• patent protection enforcement and exploitation;
• database, copyright and software protection enforcement and exploitation;
• IT software development and procurement;
• data protection issues, and
• defamation issues including hard copy and internet formats.