Navigating IP law across borders is complex. The Legal 500 Comparative Guide offers expert insights from top firms worldwide, helping legal teams benchmark key IP issues across jurisdictions quickly, clearly, and with confidence.
Published 17 September 2025
Intellectual Property Guide
The UK chapter of the Legal 500 Country Comparative Guide: Intellectual Property Law has been authored by Shoosmiths experts comprising partners Graham Burnett-Hall, Andrew Brennan, Gary Assim, and Dominic Murphy, alongside legal director Nikki Jenkins and principal associate Eloise Di Pascua, offering a pragmatic overview of the full spectrum of intellectual property rights, from registration and duration through to enforcement and licensing.
UK Chapter highlights
Key topics include:
- scope of rights: patents (including SPCs), trade secrets, trade marks & passing off, certification/collective marks, designs, copyright, database rights, plant varieties and semiconductor topographies
- durations & renewals: patents up to 20 years; trade marks renewable every 10 years; registered designs up to 25 years; supplementary unregistered design 3 years; copyright life + 70 years
- registration timelines: trade marks and designs ~4–6 months; patents commonly 4.5 years (with accelerated options available)
- enforcement routes: IPEC and High Court actions, customs Applications for Action, criminal sanctions for counterfeits, UDRP domain disputes, and ADR (mediation/arbitration)
- post-Brexit changes: continuity of pre-2021 plant variety rights, alongside UK-specific filing rules
Read the Intellectual Property guide: United Kingdom: Intellectual Property – Country Comparative Guides
These guides reflect Shoosmiths’ commitment to providing clear, practical insight across the full landscape of intellectual property law. As innovation continues to reshape how IP is created, protected and commercialised, our team helps clients stay on top of what matters now and ready for what’s coming next.