Infringement of your Intellectual Property (IP) can be frustrating and sometimes difficult and costly to resolve.
Whatever the infringement, you will feel something has been stolen from you.
Copyright, patents, designs and trademarks are all types of Intellectual Property protection. You get some types of protection automatically, others you have to apply for.
Having the right type of intellectual property protection helps you to stop people from stealing or copying:
- Names of your products or brands
- Your inventions
- The look and design of your products
- Anything you may write, make or produce
If you feel this has happened to you, initially confront the other party and draw attention to the infringement. If they will not cease or argues there has been no infringement, a financial decision has to be made.
Go to court or try meditation?
There is where mediation could resolve the dispute without the costs of taking the case to court.
The Intellectual Property Office (IPO) is an official Government body with responsibility for IP rights and covers areas like trademarks, copyright, designs and patents, where it can help you resolve disputes and draw both parties towards an amicable solution.
The majority of mediations reach an agreement on the day and other disputes reach a resolution as a direct result of the mediation process.
The IPO offers various intellectual property dispute resolution services which are confidential – whatever the outcome, it will remain private preserving business reputations and allowing parties to maintain existing commercial relationships, as well as the chance to forge a new one.
The IPO employs accredited mediators qualified to mediate matters.
Need advice on protecting Intellectual Property? Contact us.