IT & Software

A patent gives you the right to decide how your inventions can be used by others. Securing a strong patent requires an understanding of the relevant industry in order to maximise the available protection. And that’s where we come in. The patent attorneys at FRKelly are scientists and engineers who can understand your invention and secure the best possible protection. With expertise across all technical areas, we engage with you to understand the technology, and provide strategic advice about when and where to file so that your business objectives mesh with the patent procedure. For foreign associates we provide knowledgeable, efficient and cost-effective representation before the European Patent Office, and directly before the UK and Irish Offices.

Good design helps businesses to compete. It helps them set the pace in crowded markets, creates differentiation, adds value and is strongly connected to business growth. At FRKelly our attorneys will help you understand how design rights and copyright can be used strategically to protect your creative efforts. Traditionally existing as registered designs covering the appearance of physical products, design rights now also include EU and UK unregistered design rights. They cover digital designs, graphical interfaces, and even logos that can also be protected using trademark registrations. Copyright law, with its long-lasting duration (life of the author plus 70 years), is also being expanded beyond the traditional areas of artistic, literary and dramatic works, sound recordings and films, to cover databases and in some cases the design of products once thought to be outside the scope of copyright law. Our attorneys can advise you how these overlapping rights might apply to your situation and give you practical advice to maximise your protection, or practical assistance to resolve a dispute involving your work or a third party’s.