Barnsley IP Clinic 9 May 2017

Jane Lambert

On the second Tuesday of every month, I give up to four 30 minute consultations on intellectual property and related areas if law free of charge to entrepreneurs, inventors, artists, designers or anyone who can get to my clinic at Barnsley Business and Innovation Centre off Innovation Way at Wilthorpe in Barnsley.

Typical questions are:

• "I have an idea for a new business. Can you tell me how to protect it?"
• "How can I find out whether my invention is new?"
• "Someone wants to invest in my business. What sort of agreement should I make with him?"
• "How do I 'copyright' a logo?"
• "Where do I find a patent or trade mark attorney and what should I be looking out for?"
• "I have just received this threatening letter from a firm of solicitors. What should I do about it?"

I have been practising IP law for many years and I can help you with all those issues. I normally charge for my time so a free consultation is quite a saving.

The next clinic is between 10:00 and 12:00 on Tuesday, 9 May 2017. f you want to book an appointment you can fill in this online booking form or call George Scanlan on 020 7404 5252 during normal office hours and ask him to book you a slot.

After the clinic, I shall give a talk on a topic of interest to entrepreneurs and other business owners between 12:15 and 13:15. The topic for next month's talk will be

How do I protect my business idea?

That is the question I am most frequently asked but it is not straightforward to answer because everybody's business idea is different as are everybody's circumstances and resources. The most extensive form of protection for a new product or process is a patent but it is expensive to get and even more expensive to maintain and enforce and for some businesses it is just not possible. I will take the audience through all the options, the advantages and disadvantages of each type of protection, the likely costs and some tips on finding a patent attorney, IP insurance and watch services. If you want to stay for that, call George on 020 7404 5252 to book your place.

Talk "How can I protect my Business Idea?"

Jane Lambert

I have been holding patent clinics around the country for many years and the most frequently asked question is "How can I protect my business idea?"

There is no easy answer because it depends on the nature of your business and the type of idea. For instance, a patent may afford the most extensive protection for a new product or process but if the costs of patenting, insuring and policing the are likely to outweigh the income likely to be generated from the invention you would be better off looking at other forms of legal protection.

It is for that reason that I am giving a talk at Barnsley Business and Innovation Centre (BBIC) entitled

How can I protect my Business Idea?

on 9 May 2017 between 12:15 and 13:15.

I will 

• introduce you to all the tools in the legal toolbox such as patents, trade secrecy, unregistered design rights, trade marks et cetera; 
• tell you the advantages and disadvantages of each type of protection; 
•  explain how to get each type of IP and how much it will cost; 
• give you some useful tips about insurance, watch services and enforcement; 
• advise you on the different types of IP professional, where to find them, how to instruct them and how much they are likely to cost; and finally,
• share a methodology for working out an IP strategy.

There is likely to be quite a lot of demand for places so call George or any of his colleagues on 020 7404 5252 to book your place as soon as possible,