Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988: Primary legislation governing copyright, moral rights, and design rights. Essential for protecting software, literary works, and artistic works. Contains provisions for employee-created works and their ownership.
Patents Act 1977: Main legislation governing patent rights and assignments in the UK. Covers technical inventions and specifies registration requirements for patent transfers.
Trade Marks Act 1994: Regulates trademark transfers and registrations. Includes provisions for protecting and transferring trademark rights and associated goodwill.
Registered Designs Act 1949: Legislation covering the protection and transfer of industrial designs, including registration requirements and transfer procedures.
Law of Property (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1989: Contains Section 2 requirements for contracts and execution formalities necessary for valid property transfers, including intellectual property.
Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999: Governs how third-party rights are handled in contractual arrangements, including IP transfer agreements.
Data Protection Act 2018 & UK GDPR: Relevant when IP transfers involve personal data or data protection considerations.
Competition Act 1998: Addresses anti-competitive provisions and territorial restrictions that might affect IP transfers.
Companies Act 2006: Contains provisions regarding corporate authority to transfer assets and registration requirements for charges over intellectual property.
Common Law Principles: Fundamental legal principles covering contract formation, consideration requirements, capacity to contract, and assignment principles that apply to IP transfers.
