Intellectual Property and Information Technology (IT)
Intellectual Property
Intellectual Property is a form of property that can be owned and sold just like
any other. It is potentially one of the most valuable possessions a commercial organisation
can own and is also one of the most misunderstood areas of commercial activity.
It can come in many different forms and most, if not all businesses, will own Intellectual
Property in some form or another. Commonly encountered Intellectual Property includes:
- Copyright
- Trade marks
- Patents
- Registered and Unregistered Design Rights
- Confidential Information
Most business organisations that own Intellectual Property take little or no steps
to protect their valuable assets until it is too late. Importantly, whilst any of
these Intellectual Property rights arise automatically, some need to be registered
to gain protection. We can advise you on how best to protect these valuable assets.
Examples of intellectual property rights not normally considered by businesses (until
problems occur that is) are: manual or computer data bases such as sales information
or customer records, photographs and designs used in marketing or in products and
also sensitive commercial information held by employees (“trade secrets”).
It is often only when problems occur that organisations seek legal assistance and
it is often too late at that stage. With timely advice, however, “up front” steps
can be taken to protect these valuable resources and prevent problems occurring
in the first place.
If you need advice on what Intellectual Property rights your organisation may have,
and advice on how to protect them, then contact our Commercial Team.
Information Technology
Computer law is a rapidly developing area of law that is increasingly having an
affect on all businesses and individuals in this Country. The terms "Computer Law"
or "IT Law" can cover many other areas of law including:
- Intellectual Property (e.g. Copyright and Computer Data Bases)
- Criminal Law (e.g. Computer fraud, hacking, piracy)
- Employment Law (e.g. employers and employees rights and responsibilities).
- Data Protection and Privacy (e.g. storage and security of personal data on computers
and in paper filing systems.)
- Contract and Consumer Law (e.g. websites and on line shopping).
Whilst all of these areas of law and many others exist in their own right, and have
done so for many years, the introduction of IT over the last two decades has created
new problems that the law has had trouble keeping pace with.
We can give advice on the use (and potential abuse) of computers in relation to
the internet, web sites and on-line selling. We can also advise on
employment issues including e-mails and internet abuse by employees and
also protection of commercial secrets.
If you need advice on the new data protection laws and their relevance to your organisation
(whether or not you keep information on the computer) and the protection and exploitation
of Intellectual Property rights then please contact our Commercial Team for further
information.
Contact Us
If you would like to arrange an appointment to see a member of our Commercial Team
to discuss IT or Intellectual Property or any other commercial law issues, please
e-mail company.commercial@chattertons.com
or phone a member of our Commercial Team on the one of the numbers given below.
Contact Details
Company Commercial Team