No need for Brexit panic over IP laws

Business leaders dealing with the Brexit fallout have been told not to panic over the possible impact on intellectual property, trade marks and copyright laws.Leading national law firm Freeths is advising clients that nothing will change immediately.Freeths partner Simon Barker, head of intellectual property based at the firm’s Birmingham office, said

“While the formal process of leaving the EU will take at least two years, we appreciate that there will be an appetite for early information about how businesses are going to be affected.We are providing clients with the best information that we can offer at this stage about how the UK’s departure from the EU may impact the intellectual property rights of businesses.Intellectual property law has been, generally, well-harmonised in the European Union, providing systems for registration of pan-EU trade marks and designs, as well as aligning Member States’ laws governing unregistered rights such as copyright.”“Nothing will change immediately and it is unlikely that the UK government will be quick to implement any laws which result in a lesser degree of IP protection for businesses in the UK. Businesses should nevertheless consider any formal consultations and lobbying opportunities that arise.”Trade marks and registered designsthe conversion of those EU registrations into UK national registrations at the UKIPO (if the owner does not need to retain a registration within the EU); orthe division out from those EU registrations of corresponding UK national registrations (if the owner needs protection in the UK while maintaining their existing protection in the EU).Passing offCopyright, database rights, unregistered designs