The trial between Uber and Waymo, Alphabet’s self-driving-car arm, was poised to become an epic clash between the two tech titans. After a year of explosive headlines about the biggest Silicon Valley dust-up for years, the case finally went to court last week. But anyone hoping to see these giants finally duke it out were left sorely disappointed when Uber and Waymo suddenly announced that they’d settled. The dispute stems from Uber’s 2016 acquisition of Otto, an autonomous-truck startup. The small firm had been co-founded by Anthony Levandowski, an engineer who’d been working at Alphabet’s dr ..read more

The internet is changing. On Tuesday March 26, the EU passed the European Union Directive on Copyright in the Digital Single Market with 348 MEPs voting for and 274 against the new directive which detractors have referred to as a meme-killing law. Now, as the Union’s member states have two years to action the directive, the question is whether or not this is great news for British SMEs.  One thing is clear though, the big tech firms are less than pleased about it. YouTube in particular has taken issue with the directive’s Article 13, which was renamed Article 17 for maximum confusion in a ..read more

The importance of protecting the intellectual property (IP) of one’s business is something we’ve touched on a few times before. And for good reason. With IP tending to account for a significant proportion of a company’s value, failing to protect it can put a business’s revenue stream and success at serious risk. But, according to new research from the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), this is the fate befalling a worrying number of small firms.  The FSB surveyed over 1,000 businesses with intellectual property rights and found that a quarter of them had suffered some sort of violation ..read more

The UK has one of the richest design heritages in the world. From the Routemaster Double Decker Bus to Colossus, the world’s first programmable, digital computer, Britain has always prided itself on its approach to game-changing design. But, obviously, without adequate protection for innovators’ design rights, this heritage could be seriously undermined, which is why it’s good news the government has proposed new measures to update registered design rights for the digital age. Under the current system, designers have the option of marking a product with registered design numbers to show it is ..read more

All businesses, big and small, will generate intellectual property (IP) of some sort and knowing your rights and having the right protection can prevent others from copying or imitating your brands, inventions, designs and generally any great ideas. IP law is a general term covering the various laws that aim to protect ingenuity, creativity and reputation.  But change is afoot: as of October 1 various IP laws have undergone something of a makeover. The principal effect of the Intellectual Property Act 2014 is that it allows the UK to join the Unified Patent System and has made some key ch ..read more

The husband and wife duo behind ethical and chic cosmetics company Lush have won their legal battle against Amazon in a landmark intellectual property (IP) case. Last year the company took action against the internet giant over trademark infringement as visitors who searched the word ‘lush’ on the Amazon website were redirected to alternative products. Amazon struck back contending that offering consumers similar products was a feature common to online shopping. But the cosmetic chain insisted that the online retailer misled customers into buying products perceived as being part of the Lush br ..read more

The government often gets a bad rep for not doing enough for UK enterprise but in the wake of Budget 2014, things are really looking up for Blighty’s start-ups and SMEs. The new Intellectual Property Act, due to be given Royal Assent today, could mean savings of up to £40m a year for UK businesses.  On top of the creation of new powers for the UK to implement a Unified Patent Court Agreement, the Act will provide new protection for designers and introduce a number of online services to help businesses better manage their IP. And that’s not all. The Act will also be tackling a business’s w ..read more

It appears that the government has latched onto the fact that we are now living in what some would call the era of the ‘superfast’. Indeed, this is proving quite beneficial for the UK’s inventive entrepreneurs in a number of instances, with one example being today’s launch of a consultation on plans to bring in a new superfast patent processing service, which will be capable of granting patents in just 90 days. Following business secretary Vince Cable’s initial announcement of the plans last year – as part of a package of measures directed at UK creativity and innovation supporting growth – th ..read more

A logo is a valuable asset for any business. Whilst a company’s very product or service – or even its workforce – may represent the largest source of investment, the power of a striking brand logo cannot be overstated. Nike and Apple have got to where they are today by offering top quality sportswear and tech gadgetry, but the simplicity of their branding has also undoubtedly stood them both in good stead. A glance at that iconic tick or semi-eaten apple does seem to make the old adage of ‘less is more’ nigh-on indisputable. Moreover, both logos are instantly recognisable in all corners of the ..read more

Intellectual property (IP) isn’t just important to your business: it is your business. There’s a good chance the majority of start-up capital spent at a business goes straight into IP; whether it’s a logo, advertising copy, software or a product, fundamentally IP is the fruit of all the hard work that goes into a thriving enterprise. And because of this it’s essential you make sure it’s carefully protected. When does protecting your IP need to start? Right from the get-go. David Warrilow, patent and trademark attorney at London IP, believes it needs to be looked at from two perspectives. “Ther ..read more