Month: February 2021

Having worked as a Consultant Paralegal at Burley Law for a month now I wanted to reflect on the breadth of work and experience I have been exposed to. Firstly, I’d like to acknowledge how comfortable, natural and integrated I feel becoming a new member of the Burley Law team. Des and Liz have been nothing other than helpful and my transition into the office has been wonderful.

Burley Law works with innovative, technology-driven start-ups and this has meant that I have had to grapple with innovative concepts and ideas ranging from novel medical devices to cloud software contracts. This has encouraged me to think creatively to provide suitable and usually unconventional solutions to their commercial problems. I have conducted IP audits and offered advice to clients on how to identify and protect their intellectual property in the early stages of their business. I have learned a lot from interacting with clients and helping them in the start of their commercial ventures.

I have been delighted with the amount of responsibility, work and opportunities Burley Law has given me. Their intimate ‘in house feel’ has attracted a wide range of clients (big, small, high profile and new) looking for specialist commercial advice. I have enjoyed the client-facing opportunities available and I am impressed with the established relationships and reputation Burley Law holds. Drafting commercial contracts, filing trade marks, opposing trade mark applications and liaising with international law firms, oh and a touch of design law… Working at Burley Law has given me an invaluable opportunity to flourish and access the bright minds of Liz and Des. I am excited to see what the next few month at Burley Law has in store.

Following Brexit, you should double check if you have filed any Applications for Action for customs to seize counterfeit products. If you filed from the UK to cover the UK and EU member states, then the UK-filed Application will now only extend to the UK. If you filed in an EU country, then it will not cover the UK. 

What you need to know

If you want to cover both the UK and EU countries then you will need to file an Application in the UK and another one in an EU country designating the countries of interest. 

Applications for Action can be a useful part of your armoury against copycat products.  Contact us if you want to know more.

Two publicly funded schemes are available to businesses to access the expertise of IP professionals like ourselves. Support of between £2,500 (UK-wide) and £4,800 (Birmingham region) may be available. This has helped businesses access investment, and protect their key products to support their future.

“The IP audit scheme and the expert advice of Des Burley and his team were instrumental in us understanding how we could protect our product, and this enabled us to secure vital external investment for growth . I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend accessing the scheme through Burley Law.” Max Swinbourne, CEO, 4T2 Sensors Limited.

Please get in touch for more details des@burleylaw.co.uk.

We have successfully helped a number of clients with a seamless transitioning process to ensure that they do not lose any vital protections for their EU/UK Trade Marks following Brexit on 1 January 2021 (see our Blog on 5 and 12 October).

If any businesses are unsure about the impact of Brexit on their EU or UK Trade Marks, we are on hand to help. Please contact Des Burley, des@burleylaw.co.uk.