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Long-established and well-respected,

Appleyard Lees is one of the UK’s leading

Intellectual Property (IP) specialists,

with an experienced and dedicated,

multidisciplinary team of patent and

trade mark Attorneys, assistants and

support staff.

From our network of offices, we provide

IP services to the whole of the UK,

Europe and the rest of the world, with

specialist knowledge in technical areas

including sectors such as Electronics

& Software, Engineering & Physics,

Chemistry & Pharmaceuticals and Life

Sciences & Biotechnology.

Our electronics team is especially

renowned for supporting large-volume

patent filing programs in Europe from

overseas clients.

Whichever sector we’re working in,

we realise that every client is unique.

That’s why you won’t find a ‘one size

fits all’ approach from us; instead we’re

dynamic and adaptable, working around

your needs and tailoring our service

accordingly. While the services and

expertise we offer are of the highest

calibre, we aim to ensure our costs are

always competitive.

You’ve worked hard to create your ideas, your products, your reputation. We’re here to protect what’s rightfully yours.

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Whatever business you’re in, you invest a great deal of time, energy and money into the things you produce. So it’s only right that you should protect your intellectual property using patents, designs, trade marks or copyright. That’s where Appleyard Lees can help.

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It’s not just a matter of simply understanding IP laws. We believe it’s also essential for us to fully understand your business, so we can make sure we add maximum value to it and give you a valuable edge over your competition.

At Appleyard Lees we work to one

simple ethos: to put you first by securing

and defending your Intellectual

Property rights.

To do that to the best of our ability – and

put you in the strongest position –

means fully understanding your industry.

That way, we can look at your rights in a

commercial context and advise you.

To that end, our team of attorneys

offers you a wide range of legal and

technological expertise combined with

real world commercial insight. It means

we can make sure the right experts are

working on your innovation, design or

brand – whether you’ve created a new

logo, chemical entity, electronic sensor or

medical device.

Aside from filing and prosecuting patent,

trade mark and design applications,

there are many other ways we can

help, too – such as developing your IP

strategy, negotiating licences, navigating

complex patent landscapes, advising on

mergers, acquisitions and tax efficient IP

structures – all designed to add value to

your business.

Intellectual Property is enormously important to your business. Using our technical and legal skills, combined with our wide-ranging commercial experience, we’ll identify and protect your IP assets across a number of different areas, such as patents, trade marks, designs and copyright.You want someone with as much

commercial insight as legal know-how. We’ve got just the people you need.

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Patents

Trade Marks

Designs & Copyright

Disputes

Other Services

Our areas of expertise

In the business of innovation, patents

are a vital commercial tool. By taking

care to understand your invention in the

context of your business, our specialists

will advise you on the best strategy,

whether you need to keep competitors

at bay, secure investment or pursue

licensing income. And whether it’s your

first or part of a portfolio of patents,

we’ll help you maximise the commercial

advantage from your innovation.

As well as acquiring patent rights, we’ll

also advise on how to protect those

rights when faced with infringement –

from co-ordinating full scale litigation to

negotiating an agreed solution between

parties – and likewise, how to deal with

threats of infringement.

Working with a network of trusted

associates throughout the world, we

represent clients directly before the UK

Intellectual Property Office, the European

Patent Office and the World Intellectual

Property Office. Many of our clients are

household names, ranging from global

corporations to Universities, and

we represent them either directly

or via instructions from

overseas attorneys.

The very nature of IP being a monopoly

right means disputes are inevitable.

Whether you are on the attack or

defence, getting the right tools in place

to be used at the right time is the key

to winning and this means getting

advice as early as possible.

Tactics include sending pre-action

letters to try to reach a negotiated

settlement, requesting UK IPO

infringement opinions to use as

bargaining leverage and litigation

through the courts for damages

and injunctions.

Conversely, if you receive a complaint

from a competitor it can tie up valuable

business resources. Avoiding such

disputes is always preferable,

and our experienced team will explore

all available options, including

negotiating a licence (if appropriate)

or challenging the asserted rights.

The aim is to minimise cost and

disruption to your business

Patents – You want to protect your innovation. We’ll help your business make the most of it.

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Studies show that a recognised trade

mark is favoured by customers over

generic or obscurely branded products

or services. We appreciate that the

best advice is crucial to establishing

a successful brand position in the

marketplace and the challenges of

preserving its position.

We work closely with legal and marketing

departments of large organisations as

well as design agencies to create strong,

protectable trade marks that are available

to use. Owners of existing trade marks

also benefit from our tailored strategies

for portfolio management, advice on

how to use, where to register and when

to enforce.

Our trade mark expertise ranges from

non-contentious matters such as

clearance, protection, exploitation, due

diligence and renewals to contentious

matters involving third parties in the UK

and all over the world. In working with a

diverse range of sectors we understand

the commercial challenges that our clients

face and their need for prompt, practical

and accurate advice.. The appearance of any product can

be the difference between success

and failure; indeed, even minor

design details can add value.

That’s why it’s worth protecting

– and why there’s been a recent

upsurge in design registrations.

On both UK and European

Community levels, registering your

design allows you to rapidly access

enforceable legal rights, with the

increased recognition of registered

designs in on-line marketplaces

and by border officials making

them an important part of the

rights-holder’s arsenal.

The Intellectual Property system

also has a framework by which

many different aspects of design

work can be protected and

exploited. However, establishing

ownership of design work, the

protection mechanisms and the

options for rights enforcement are

complicated by the potential for

overlapping rights. So detailed legal

knowledge across a number of

fields is vital to formulate a business

case for action – which is why you

should talk to us.

Disputes – You want to stop competitors eating into your advantage. We can provide the tools you need.

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We offer more than just our core services

in patent, trade mark, design & copyright

and disputes. Our team can provide you

with a range of complementary services

including:

• monitoring and payment of renewal

fees to keep your rights in force

• patentability landscape or freedom to

operate (FTO) searches

• due diligence on intellectual property

issues resulting from a company

takeover or new product launch,

including pragmatic advice

• in-house support, on-site with your

team or remotely – terms available

include capped or fixed prices, hourly,

daily or weekly rates.

We can also offer guidance and support

on potential IP issues from working in

collaboration with other parties, as well as

tailored one-to-one or team training on

IP-related matters.

Other Services – You want complete protection. We’ve got the complete package.

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Trade Marks – Vital support for an important asset.

> Designs & Copyright – Good design can make a difference to your product’s success. We can make sure it’s protected.

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Patent law in itself is complicated enough. But apply it to the complex industries where many of today’s innovations take place, and you can see the value of having our specialist knowledge on your side.

Working with multinational clients,

well-established medium-sized

businesses and start ups, our list

of clients in this sector continues

to grow thanks to our team’s wide

range of expertise, reputation and

experience. You’ll find us keen

to absorb and understand new

technologies. We are not limited

to specific areas we’ve worked in

previously.Robust patent protection is essential to the

chemical and pharmaceutical industry.

For example, there are high risks associated

with producing a new medicine, which

requires many years of costly research and

development. For a business to succeed in

this area, such investment in research and

development must be accompanied by the

right kind of patent protection/intellectual

property assets.

Our chemical team has a wealth of

experience in drafting and prosecuting

patent applications across many chemical

disciplines. Also, many of the team worked

in industry before joining the patent

attorney profession, which allows them to

work easily with inventors and technical

teams, and also to put patent related advice

in a commercial context.

With many recent examples of high

profile litigation in this sector, the

importance of patent protection has

never been greater. Indeed, many

businesses in this sector are realising

the competitive edge patents can offer

them, and are investing heavily to secure

patent protection.

However, the law in this area can be

very subtle, and in particular with regard

to software. We have many attorneys

who specialise in this area, with a vast

collective pool of experience and

know-how. We are well placed to help

you in this complex technological and

legal area.

Delivering the next generation of

therapies and diagnostics, this sector

is currently one of the most rapidly

evolving – in fact, patent laws around the

world struggle to keep up at times with

the new technologies being developed.

We not only keep a very close eye on

developments in Europe and further

afield, but also have a team of attorneys

who have experience in research

laboratories.

With multinational corporations and

universities amongst others, we have

a well-earned reputation for handling

complex technical subjects while

providing clear strategic advice.

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Engineering & Physics – including medical devices, manufacturing, packaging, engines and energy.

>Life sciences & Biotechnology – including microbiological processes, genetics, biopharmaceuticals, plant sciences and immunology.

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Chemistry & Pharmaceuticals – including food science, materials and coatings, fuels, healthcare and chemical products.

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Electronics & Software – including cloud computing, imaging, consumer electronics, communications, defence systems and optics.

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The Appleyard Lees ethos is to add value to your business by always putting you first. We achieve that by securing and defending your intellectual property rights. In short, whatever your industry or your IP requirements, you can call on Appleyard Lees.

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An excellent understanding of our business and technology”

Quick, accurate, excellent service and advice”

Reliable, timely and professional service delivered in a pragmatic, no nonsense way”

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The Lexicon, Mount StreetManchester, M2 5NT,United KingdomT: +44 (0) 161 835 9655F: +44 (0) 161 835 9654

8 St Paul’s StreetLeeds, LS1 2LE,United KingdomT: +44 (0) 113 246 5353F: +44 (0) 113 246 5472

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The Lexicon, Mount StreetManchester, M2 5NT,United KingdomT: +44 (0) 161 835 9655F: +44 (0) 161 835 9654