IPLA

On 23 June 2016, the UK voted in a referendum to leave the EU.  Article 50 was triggered in March 2017 and the UK now has two years within which to negotiate the terms of its withdrawal from the EU.

 

Brexit has huge implications for UK IP.  The law relating to registered trade marks and designs is largely harmonised across the EU.  Copyright law is subject to repeated consultations to seek to ensure as much EU harmonisation as possible.  And the UK is expected to play a significant part in the Unitary Patent and Unified Patent Court.  Indeed London is due to be the location of the life sciences Central Division. 

 

The IPLA has been at the forefront of stakeholder discussions and thought leadership on Brexit. 

 

IPLA was one of the stakeholder parties who instructed Richard Gordon QC of Brick Court Chambers to provide an Opinion on whether the UK could continue to participate in the UPC.

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IPLA has also produced the following papers which have been provided to the UK-IPO to assist with their decision-making as to next steps for Brexit:

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• IPLA's position on continued protection of EUTMs

• IPLA's position paper on trade mark and design enforcement

• IPLA's position paper on unregistered design rights

• IPLA's position paper on geographical indications

• IPLA's position paper on patents

• 14 October 2019 - Joint Letter to Government on IP and Brexit - Continuity and Certainty