Intellectual Property

Expertise

Our expertise covers the full spectrum of intellectual property rights, including copyright, trade marks, designs, patents and trade secrets. 

We specialise in IP strategy and protection, including brand strategy, registered protection, marketing collateral and labelling.

Our team has extensive experience in highly sensitive brand management and the implementation of confidential IP projects, such as the launch to market of new products and services and rebranding exercises. 

We are experts in the commercialisation of intellectual property, including IP structuring, partnering, licensing, and franchising. We have particular expertise in implementing IP-focused commercial projects key to a client’s innovation strategy, such as the acquisition of brands and other IP assets, distribution and white-labelling of technology, and strategic partnerships and joint ventures.

Our lawyers are also experienced in IP-related enforcement and dispute resolution, with specialist knowledge in trade mark and patent infringement, counterfeit goods, domain names and e-commerce disputes, breach of confidence, music rights, copyright and passing off disputes.

‍

Experience

• Assisting a major New Zealand port operator with the commercialisation of proprietary technology, IP licensing and FTO issues, including undertaking clearance patent FTO assessments in the United Kingdom, Europe, the United States, Australia, and New Zealand.
• Assisting a New Zealand high performance sports organisation with the development and commercialisation of sports equipment technology and know-how in accordance with relevant international sports regulations, including advising on third party intellectual property rights.
• Assisting a leading global trading card game with the licensing of its trade marks and artwork for merchandise, cease and desist letters to protect its intellectual property, and the preparation of agreements and disclaimers for the filming of its game tournaments.
• Assisting a global aerospace and software company with its New Zealand intellectual property compliance programme, including bringing proceedings against a New Zealand aeronautics design and manufacturing company and its director for infringement of copyright.
• Advising a public-private joint venture in the agritech sector on the establishment of a venture company focused on the development and commercialisation of emissions reducing solutions for livestock, including the structuring and negotiation of complex commercial arrangements to obtain and protect necessary IP rights and research expertise.
• Advising a Crown research entity in relation to how it could commercialise IP and data insights without restricting public value from public funds.
• Acting for a local authority in relation to the implementation and licensing of a real time passenger information system and the outsourcing of the management of the system.
• Advising a major energy infrastructure company on joint ventures with two global technology firms to develop internal digital tools and explore commercialisation opportunities.
• Advising various New Zealand technology start-ups and “for good” businesses on their IP ownership structure and terms of service as they commenced business and entered the US and other markets.
• Acting for a major New Zealand telecommunications operator on its complete rebrand, including choice of name and strategy for protecting its new name.
• Using a novel strategy to assist a New Zealand financial services provider to obtain and protect its preferred name
• Advising a New Zealand-based dairy and food company on the launch of new product ranges and brands, both in New Zealand and overseas, including conducting clearance searches, Food Code compliance and creating a brand strategy to launch in new markets.
• Advising several high-profile global sporting organisations in relation to their intellectual property rights and brand strategy in New Zealand, including anticounterfeiting and opposition proceedings against infringing parties.