Intellectual Property & Licensing

Baker Botts has kindly offered to replace the Christmas Pitch with a seminar on the very important topics of Intellectual Property & Licensing. The more I get involved with start-ups, the more I realise that many start-ups - and indeed even fully-fledged SMEs - fail to recognise the importance of this vital topic.

Baker Botts’ Neil Coulson along with Alistair Russell, a European Patent Attorney from Hoffmann Eitle and Andrew Sant, an IP Consultant from White Light Consulting will discuss all aspects of IP protection, strategy and monetization. Topics covered will include:

· Key early considerations – ownership and confidentiality

· Developing a coherent IP protection strategy

· Using R&D tax credits to fund IP protection, availability of the patent box regime

· What to say about your IP to investors and what not to say

· When to patent inventions and how to get the best protection for the lowest spend

· Branding

· Licensing strategies

· How best to enforce

· What do you do if you’re sued

In short, a hugely impressive line-up! Looking forward to seeing as many of you as possible at this our last meeting before Christmas. As always, proceedings will begin at 6.30 sharp - do please try to arrive before then.

Kind regards,

Charles