Brexit

What happens to trademarks, designs, patents and copyright if the UK crashes out of Europe without a deal? The UK government released a series of guidance papers to address this topic last week.

The UKIPO’s recent report on patent, trademark and design applications, publications and grants 1995–2017 has identified some interesting filing trends. Meanwhile, the UK government has confirmed that EU IP rights will continue to be protected in the UK post-Brexit at no-cost to brand owners.

The UK government issued its latest 'white paper' on the future relationship between the UK and European Union yesterday (12 July). Apart from general statements on the importance of IP protections, it did not mention or specify plans for how IP rights would be managed post-Brexit, other than in regards to Geographical Indications (GIs) and, to a lesser extent, the Unitary Patent (UP).

Patents, trademarks, designs and other forms of intellectual property (IP) play a key role in the success of all modern businesses.