Intellectual property lawyers
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Contact our teamAt Moore Barlow, our specialist intellectual property lawyers help businesses and individuals protect, enforce, and maximise the value of their IP rights.
Whether you’re registering a trade mark, licensing a design, or defending your copyright, our team provides expert legal advice tailored to your commercial goals. We understand that your brand, ideas, and innovations are some of your most valuable assets.
Our intellectual property solicitors work across a wide range of sectors including technology, media, fashion, retail, and manufacturing. From trade mark disputes to patent licensing, we offer practical, results-driven support at every stage of the IP lifecycle. With many offices, we deliver accessible legal expertise backed by national reach.
What is intellectual property?
Intellectual property (IP) refers to creations of the mind, such as inventions, literary and artistic works, designs, symbols, names, and images used in commerce. IP gives creators and businesses legal rights to protect and control the use of their ideas, ensuring they can benefit from their innovation and creativity.
What is intellectual property law?
Intellectual property law is a legal framework that protects the rights of creators and owners of original works, such as inventions, literary and artistic works, and symbols or designs. It includes patents, trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets.
What is copyright law?
Copyright law is a legal framework that grants exclusive rights to creators of original works, such as literary, artistic, musical, and other intellectual works. It protects the creators’ rights to control the use, distribution, and reproduction of their works, and provides legal remedies for infringement.
With extensive experience of IP and copyright law, we can help you with the following:
- IP strategy – Help with understanding what IP your business owns and, more importantly, what IP your business should protect and the best way to do this cost-effectively.
- Copyright – A detailed understanding of copyright law and related commercial issues puts us in a strong position to advise you on areas such as software licensing.
- Trademarks and designs – We can help you protect your brands and/or designs and manage the registration of trademarks and designs for your business.
- Patents and know-how – For businesses with new inventions and processes, we can advise suitable licensing arrangements.
- Research & development collaborations – if you are involved in R&D collaboration, ensuring that the correct position is adopted regarding IP ownership and exploitation is of vital importance. We can advise parties in relation to various forms of R&D collaborations, including academic and private sector collaborations.
- We advise on other IP related agreements including IP assignment and licensing, distribution, sponsorship, merchandising, format rights licensing, publishing and franchising agreements.
- Links with foreign lawyers and agents means that we can secure protection for your IP rights nationally and internationally.
- Together with our dispute resolution team, we can also advise on what to do when someone else is using your IP without your permission.
- We always consider your primary commercial objectives and take a strategic, rather than an academic, approach.
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First-class legal advice combined with exceptional business knowledge
We have established many strong relationships with accountants, trade mark and patent agents, banks and investors, and this helps us to give you not only first-class legal advice but also strong business advice. We are the UK member firm of the IT IP Law Group Europe, a specialist network of technology lawyers that provides pan-European coverage of commercial and technology law issues.
We have also developed particular expertise in relation to technology transfers and IP acquisition, disposal and licensing.
Why choose our intellectual property solicitors?
Choosing Moore Barlow’s intellectual property solicitors means partnering with a team consistently recognised in Legal 500 and Chambers & Partners for excellence in IP and commercial technology law. Our expertise includes advising on trademark portfolio strategies, copyright protection, patent licensing, IP due diligence during M&A, and enforcement actions. We approach every matter with practical insight and strategic clarity, drawn from years of experience in supporting both UK and international clients.
Our IP team offers comprehensive support across the full IP lifecycle. We assist with brand protection via trademark filings and oppositions, advise on licensing and assignment agreements, draft IP clauses in tech contracts, and manage disputes effectively. Clients benefit from our focus on commercial outcomes and our ability to integrate IP advice with broader technology and business objectives.
How Moore Barlow can help
We work with an extensive range of clients from early-stage businesses to multinational organisations from the UK and abroad. Our experienced team are based across our offices in London, Richmond, Southampton, Guildford, Lymington and Woking. Contact us for expert advice.
We are here to help
Discover how our expert commercial and technology lawyers can help you.
Contact our commercial and technology team
Frequently asked questions
How do I protect my intellectual property?
To protect your intellectual property, you should first identify the assets you wish to safeguard, such as brand names, logos, inventions, written content, or designs. Registering rights where possible—through trade marks, patents, or design rights—offers formal legal protection. Copyright arises automatically but should be supported with clear records of ownership and creation. It’s also vital to use contracts and non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) when working with others, ensuring your IP is protected in employment, consultancy, and supplier relationships. Regularly monitoring for infringement and seeking legal advice when necessary will help you enforce your rights and maintain control over your creative and commercial assets.
What do I do if someone is copying my IP?
If someone is copying your intellectual property, the first step is to gather evidence of the infringement, including dates, examples, and any harm caused. You should then seek legal advice to assess your rights and the strength of your claim. Often, a solicitor will send a formal cease and desist letter, requesting that the infringing activity stops immediately. If this is unsuccessful, you may need to consider legal action, such as applying for an injunction or pursuing a claim for damages. It’s important to act promptly to protect your rights and prevent further misuse of your intellectual property.
What do I do if I receive a letter before action that I have infringed another’s intellectual property?
If you receive a letter before action alleging that you have infringed someone else’s intellectual property, it’s important not to ignore it. Do not respond hastily or admit liability without seeking legal advice. The letter is usually the first formal step before legal proceedings, so you should review the claims carefully with a solicitor who specialises in intellectual property. They will help assess whether the allegation has merit, explore possible defences, and advise on how to respond. In some cases, the matter can be resolved through negotiation, licensing, or a settlement. Acting quickly and professionally can help minimise legal and financial risks.
What does an intellectual property solicitor do?
IP lawyers help individuals and businesses properly register, protect, and manage their IP assets through various non-contentious (e.g. registering a right) and contentious (e.g. fighting an infringement) work. This is vital for ensuring owners of IP maximise the commercial value of their work.
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