Intellectual Property and IT Insights

30 June 2008

Welcome to the June edition of Intellectual Property Insights, in which we'll ask the big question: who owns IP? You? Your contractor or employee? The government that helped fund it? We'll find out how you can sort this out before it's developed, and save yourself a lot of grief later on.

We'll also look at

  • why the financial services industry should look at patents a bit more carefully (hint: it could make them more money)
  • how you can protect your trade mark simply by using it (and when others can use it with your consent)
  • why your attempts to limit your liability in deals might not work.

Tricks of the trade (and how not to get trapped) - intellectual property and government grants

By Clare Doneley.

Governments provide substantial funding to private enterprise through Grant Agreements which often throw up a few issues in the ownership of intellectual property. Clare Doneley looks at how to manage these issues, with lessons that are applicable to other types of agreements involving intellectual property assets.

A new meaning of consequential loss in technology contracts

By Amy Noble.

Suppliers of software products and technology platform systems often attempt to limit their liability for consequential loss, but as Amy Noble warns, they might not be successful.

Controlling copyright created in the workplace

By Mary Still and Timothy Webb.

If there's no agreement, who owns copyright created in the workplace will depend on whether the individual is an employee or independent contractor - but when is someone an employee? Mary Still and Timothy Webb look for answers in a recent case.

Trade mark infringement - who can provide consent?

By Robert Cutler and Timothy Webb.

You can use someone's registered trade mark if you have the owner's consent, but as Robert Cutler and Timothy Webb, that is not as simple as it seems.

Use it or lose it!

By Kellie Stonier.

Your registered trade marks have to be used, or they are vulnerable to being removed. Kellie Stonier looks at what you have to do to maintain your registration.

Patents and the financial services industry - show me the money!

By Nicholas Tyacke and Alexandra Grey.

Is the financial services industry missing a trick with protecting its technologies, methods an processes, ask Nicholas Tyacke and Alexandra Grey.
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