Intellectual Property and Confidentiality Agreements
These intellectual property and confidentiality agreements are designed for businesses that need to protect, transfer, license or commercially use valuable rights and sensitive information.
The documents cover major forms of intellectual property, including copyright, trade marks, branding, patents, know-how and designs, as well as confidentiality and non-disclosure arrangements.
Intellectual property protection, licensing and assignment
The templates help businesses manage intellectual property as a commercial asset. They include documents for licensing rights, assigning ownership, recording royalty arrangements, and dealing with sector-specific uses such as writing, publishing and creative work.
Confidential information and business protection
The confidentiality and non-disclosure agreements are designed to help protect commercially sensitive information when it is shared with employees, contractors, business partners, suppliers, investors or other third parties.
IP disputes and cease and desist letters
The collection also includes letters for use where an intellectual property or confidentiality issue has become contentious, including cease and desist letters for responding to alleged infringement or misuse.
Intellectual Property and Confidentiality Agreements is part of Business . Just £38.50 + VAT provides unlimited downloads from Business for 1 year.
Frequently Asked Questions
I've created something valuable for my business. How do I protect it and earn from it? +
It depends on what you have. Creative and written work, software, brands, inventions and designs are protected by different rights such as copyright, trade marks, patents and design rights, while confidential know-how is protected by the law of confidence. You can keep ownership and license others to use the right for a fee or royalty, or transfer ownership by assignment. This group provides the licences, assignments, royalty agreements and confidentiality documents to do that, plus enforcement letters.
What is the difference between licensing and assigning intellectual property? +
A licence lets someone use the right on agreed terms while you keep ownership, usually for a fee or royalty, and it can be exclusive or non-exclusive and limited by time, territory or use. An assignment transfers ownership outright. For copyright and patents an assignment must be in writing and signed by the owner to be effective, so getting the paperwork right matters. This group has both licence and assignment templates for each main right.
Do I have to register copyright, trade marks or designs to be protected? +
It varies by right. Copyright and UK unregistered design right arise automatically when you create a qualifying work, with no register to file. Trade marks and patents need registration for the strongest, most easily enforced protection, though an unregistered brand can still be defended through passing off. Designs can be registered for stronger rights or rely on unregistered protection. Knowing which right you have shapes how you protect and enforce it.
I need to share sensitive business information with another party. How do I protect it? +
Use a confidentiality agreement or non-disclosure agreement to define the confidential information, set the permitted purpose and restrict use and further disclosure. It can be one-way or mutual. Confidential information can be protected by the law of confidence even without an agreement, but a written document makes the position far clearer and easier to enforce. Where you are sharing personal data with someone processing it for you, data protection law also requires a written contract.
Someone is copying my brand or content. What is the first practical step? +
A cease and desist letter is often the sensible first move. It puts the other side on notice, sets out the alleged infringement and asks them to stop by a date, which can resolve matters without going to court. For trade marks, patents and designs be careful how you word the threat, because groundless threats of infringement proceedings can themselves be actionable. This group includes cease and desist letters for the main IP and confidentiality issues.
