- Phil Hitchen (Intellectual Property Solicitor)
“Most people regard tangible assets, such as premises and plant, and staff as material to business operation and success or failure. Of equal if not greater importance is knowing what intellectual property your business owns or licences and your rights.
Whether it be the name or logo you use; the design and supply details of your products or services or the software that records orders and delivery all involve intellectual property. You need to know what you have and protect it and exploit it or lose it. Read more »
Phil Hitchen - Associate
Ben Hoyle, Arts Correspondent at The Times reported yesterday that EON Productions, the producer of the James Bond films, has announced that the 23rd installment in the series has been postponed indefinitely because of the financial woes of its distributor, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM).
If you are a corporate buyer or investor you are only going to buy or invest in MGM if it makes commercial sense and you will get a return.
If a major factor in MGM income stream is the rights from the “Bond” films a buyer or investor will want to know that those rights and income stream are in place.
If there were few potential buyers or investors in the current climate the possibility of buying or investing in an MGM which doesn’t have the rights or the income from them in terms of new content is going to be a major put off.
I would be saddened if it causes any further delay with “The Hobbit” which has already been delayed due to contract/IPR disputes. Read more »
Phil Hitchen - Associate
Marmite is today launching legal action against the British National Party after an image of the spread was used in a political broadcast without the company’s permission.
The famous jar appeared in the top left hand corner of the screen while party leader Nick Griffin was addressing viewers in a BNP general election broadcast on the web. Read more »
Phil Hitchen - Associate
I recently read the news that Yorkshire Pudding makers, Roberts, Aunt Bessie’s and the Real Yorkshire Pudding Company are in talks over applying for EU protection on their products.
If the plan becomes law, only puddings baked in Yorkshire or Humberside could be called “Yorkshire puddings”, denying the same name to frozen food manufacturers overseas. Read more »
Phil Hitchen - Associate
My comments follow on from Sathnam Sanghera’s article in todays business section of Times Online (Found below).
It is a sad fact of life that whether you are dealing with a member of your family or a friend or with any other person (particularly in the course of a business) that it is often in everyone’s interests to record the transaction in the form of a clear and precise and reasonably comprehensive written contract setting out respective rights and obligations and which meets legal requirements. Read more »
IP, Media & Entertainment | Ralli | 
April 26, 2010 2:56 pm | 
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