Jessica Stretch

This Practice Note explores the difference between a font and typeface and provides definitions for a font, a webfont and a typeface. The Practice Notes examines how the intellectual property (IP) rights: copyright, designs and trade marks apply to fonts and typefaces. It also covers some common legal issues that arise where a business designs or selects a font to use on its website and/or in other digital or printed material.

This Practice Note provides guidance on the intellectual property issues arising from the commercial use of photographs. It covers photographs and subsistence of copyright, copyright ownership of photographs, sourcing photographs by commissioning, obtaining stock photographs or by obtaining Creative Commons licensed images, using images without consent, permitted uses of copyright images, key issues when negotiating licence agreements, and model releases including protecting the rights of the individual in relation to the processing of their personal information under the UK GDPR. The Practice Note also deals with special categories of photographs such as celebrity images, the Royal Family, photographs of children, photographs featuring branded goods, and photographs of places—including the panorama exception.

This Practice Note provides an overview of the law on joint ownership of intellectual property (IP) rights (also referred to as co-ownership). It considers the basic principles of implied joint ownership for patents, trade marks, designs and copyright, and the risks and obstacles that might arise in relation to implied joint ownership. It also sets out the key considerations to be taken into account when making express provision for joint ownership in agreements. It considers alternatives to joint ownership of IP rights and sets out a checklist of points for the proprietors of IP rights to consider when entering into joint ownership arrangements.

This Practice Note sets out guidance on sub-licensing intellectual property rights. It covers the statutory position as to the sub-licensing of patents, trade marks, copyright and designs, the advantages and disadvantages of sub-licensing intellectual property rights, key terms and considerations to take into account and key questions for drafting a sub-licence.

This Individual image release Precedent, also known as a model release, takes the form of a letter from the subject of a photograph, a professional model or ordinary member of public, to a photographer in which the individual waives any rights they may have in the photograph(s). This image release also covers key issues relating to a photographer’s ongoing data protection obligations under data protection laws including the UK GDPR.