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IP, Brand Protection & Image Rights

Sport is an IP rich industry and our leading contentious and non-contentious IP lawyers help clients in the sector protect, exploit and manage their IP rights across the world.

Our in house trade mark team manage portfolios for a number of sports organisations, advising on efficient trade mark filing strategies, providing watching services and dealing with oppositions. In doing so we adapt to the client’s needs advising on best practice or taking a more pragmatic approach, achieving optimum results within the given budget.

Our IP litigators have advised on various high profile cases, including acting for Premier League clubs in trade mark disputes, athletes in defamation cases, and assisting various clients in taking a proactive stance against counterfeiters.

We also advise athletes, agents and clubs on the protection and exploitation of image rights, and advise brands and rights holders on ambush marketing issues, including specialist issues such as Rule 40 of the Olympic Charter.

Examples of our recent work include:

  • managing international trade mark portoflios for several sports rights holders, including dealing with applications and oppositions through our in house trade marks team
  • acting for a Premier League club in the defence of trade mark invalidation proceedings
  • advising a Premier League player on his defamation claim against a national newspaper
  • acting for various brands and marketing agencies in relation to IP, image rights and ambush marketing issues arising from marketing campaigns linked to major sports events
  • providing advice on the practical  and legal aspects of designing and implementing a brand protection programme for a sporting mega-event
  • providing UK trade mark advice for one of the biggest global superstars of sport

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