What will the talk cover?

Sport and business, once seen as separate fields, have become increasingly intertwined, with the business of sport now a billion dollar industry in the UK. Innovation in sports technology, from the latest athlete equipment through to improvements in spectator engagement, has played an important role in this growth, and is reflected in the increasing number of patent applications that are being filed in this field.

In this talk, we will discuss the key aspects of intellectual property that can be used to protect innovations within the sports sector, with a particular focus on the patent system. The webinar will also explore broader patent strategy, including ways in which patents can be utilised to their full potential to maximise their value within the overall business.

Who will be speaking?

Mark Aldred is a chartered UK and European patent attorney. Mark works with a wide variety of technologies within the physics, IT and engineering sectors, representing a wide range of clients from multinational companies to individual inventors. In addition to drafting and prosecuting patent applications, Mark has extensive experience representing clients in oral proceedings before the EPO.

Mark is a keen sportsman, and rowed for Great Britain between 2013 and 2016, including competing at the Rio Olympics. Now retired from international rowing, Mark maintains a keen interest in sport and keeping up with the latest tech.

Who are GJE?

Gill Jennings & Every (GJE) are a firm of European Patent, Trade Mark & Design Attorneys. We act throughout the UK and EU – through both our London and Munich offices.

We are recognised as a leading European IP firm by the Financial Times. In addition, we have received five Gold Awards for our work in the following industry sectors: Chemistry & Pharmaceuticals, Electrical Engineering, IT & Software, Materials & Nanotechnology, and Mechanical Engineering; as well as a Silver Award for our work in the Biotechnology and Food industries.

We work with an extensive and varied list of clients - from early-stage start-ups all the way through to global brands, and everyone in-between. 

Clients include Procter and Gamble, producer of many of the UK's most well-known household brands. GJE prosecutes and defends a very active, high-value IP portfolio of currently over 1500 patents and patent applications across 70+ countries for the world’s leading banknote supplier, De La Rue.

Some of our other well-known clients include:

• MasterCard
• Hasbro
• Xerox
• Micron Technology

Filing a well-prepared patent, trade mark or design registration may be critical to the future of your business. How it is written defines not just your innovation or identity but also the competitive landscape you wish to operate in. But there is more to intellectual property than filing a document. Other things to consider will include the amount of potential or unidentified IP in your business; the level of competition in your industry; licensing the technology to others; and key target markets. GJE’s attorneys consider all these issues and provide solutions to both grow and protect your business.

Please submit the form to be sent the link to the webinar and submit any questions you would like answered within the session.