In a globalised economy where the value of a company increasingly depends on its intangible assets, protecting intellectual property

has become a major strategic issue. Trademarks, software, databases, digital content, technological innovations: these creations are at the heart of your competitive differentiation and your ability to generate growth. Faced with increased risks of counterfeiting, unauthorised use and cross-border litigation, the involvement of an intellectual property lawyer is no longer a mere administrative formality. It is part of a comprehensive support approach, combining legal advice, business strategy and an international dimension, to secure your innovations and maximise their value.

Why intellectual property has become a strategic issue for businesses

Intangible assets now represent a significant portion of the value of companies, whether they are technology start-ups or established industrial groups. Software, mobile applications, artificial intelligence algorithms, trademarks, product designs, copyrighted content, customer databases: all these elements contribute directly to your market positioning and your ability to attract investors and partners.

This rise in the importance of intangible assets is accompanied by major risks in all sectors of activity. Trademark counterfeiting, software piracy, unauthorised use of protected content, and illegal use of databases can quickly undermine your competitive position. In a digitalised environment where geographical boundaries are blurring, these threats are multiplying and becoming more complex: counterfeiting can be initiated from any continent, litigation can involve several jurisdictions, and an internet platform can disseminate illegal content worldwide in a matter of hours.

Furthermore, recent technological developments, particularly in the areas of artificial intelligence, connected objects and big data processing, are creating new legal challenges in the field of intellectual property. How can you protect a creation generated by AI? How can you legally secure a SaaS solution that exploits sensitive data? How can you effectively defend your rights against international players who are sometimes better equipped in legal and economic terms? These are all questions that require the expertise of a solicitor specialising in intellectual property who is able to understand these issues in their technical, legal and strategic dimensions.

What does the work of an intellectual property solicitor involve?

Identifying and protecting your intangible assets

The first task of an intellectual property solicitor is to carry out a comprehensive mapping of your creations and intangible assets. This analysis makes it possible to identify precisely what deserves protection: works protected by copyright (software, content, graphic creations), trademarks and domain names, industrial designs, patents for technical innovations, know-how and trade secrets. This in-depth research stage provides real insight into your intellectual portfolio and enables you to optimise your protection strategy.

Once this inventory has been established, the intellectual property lawyer determines the most appropriate forms of protection for your situation and objectives. Should you register a trademark at national, EU or international level via the Madrid system? Does your software require specific protection beyond automatic copyright? Does your design deserve to be registered as a design? These strategic choices are based on rigorous prior art searches to avoid any conflict with pre-existing intellectual property rights held by third parties, and on a detailed analysis of your current and future markets.

The protection of creations also has an international dimension. An international intellectual property solicitor will assist you in implementing protection strategies tailored to your geographical development: trademark extensions in target countries, coordination of registrations, centralised management of your rights portfolio. This proactive approach helps you avoid situations where you discover, too late, that a competitor has registered your trademark in a strategic market. The firm also acts in opposition proceedings before industrial property offices to defend your rights against third-party claims.

Structuring the exploitation of your rights (contracts and partnerships)

The protection of intangible assets only makes sense if it is accompanied by structured and secure exploitation. Contracts are the central tool for this exploitation: licence agreements to authorise the use of your trademark or software, assignment of rights to transfer ownership of a creation, coexistence agreements to organise the parallel use of similar trademarks, publishing agreements, technology partnerships, and franchising operations. The drafting and negotiation of these contracts require in-depth legal expertise to secure the interests of the client company.

The involvement of a solicitor specialising in new technology law is particularly crucial in the negotiation and drafting of complex IT contracts: custom software development, SaaS licences, application maintenance, data hosting, APIs, marketplaces. These contracts must precisely define the ownership of rights to developments, operating conditions, compliance guarantees and security commitments, while anticipating future technological developments and complying with applicable regulations such as the GDPR on personal data.

For companies that develop digital platforms, mobile applications or innovative solutions, the legal framework governing relations with users, partners and suppliers is a major challenge. Terms and conditions of use, privacy policy, management of intellectual property rights for content published on the platform: all these aspects require specialised legal expertise to protect your interests while complying with legal obligations in the various countries where you operate.

Anticipating and managing intellectual property disputes

Despite a well-constructed protection strategy, conflicts may arise in the course of your business. The counterfeiting of trademarks remains a frequent occurrence, as does software piracy and the unauthorised use of copyright-protected content. When faced with such situations, a solicitor specialising in counterfeiting defence has several courses of action at their disposal and experience in intellectual property litigation.

In the pre-litigation phase, detailed formal notices may be sufficient to stop the infringement. To establish material evidence of infringement, the infringement seizure procedure, carried out with the assistance of a bailiff, allows the facts to be established and the evidence to be secured. These measures will then be used to bring an infringement action before the competent courts. The firm will assist you in all legal proceedings to defend your intellectual property rights.

Beyond infringement in the strict sense, other actions may be necessary: proceedings for unfair competition, damage to image and e-reputation, dissemination of illegal content on the internet, diversion of customers, and parasitism.

Our team of solicitors represents you before the specialised courts, as well as before the intellectual property offices (INPI in France, EUIPO, WIPO) in opposition, invalidity or registration proceedings. The objective is not always to go to trial.

Depending on the commercial issues at stake and the balance of power, transactional solutions may be more appropriate: amicable agreement, negotiated settlement, contractual adjustment, mutual recognition of rights, compensation. The intellectual property solicitor will work with you to assess the best strategic response, taking into account legal, financial and reputational aspects.

Intellectual property, digital and data: an integrated IP/IT & Data approach

The boundaries between intellectual property, digital law and personal data protection are becoming increasingly blurred. A digital project simultaneously involves several areas of law: software and content protection, GDPR compliance, cookie and advertising tracking management, data security, compliance with online consumer law, and literary and artistic property rights for creative content.

This convergence requires a coordinated approach. A specialist lawyer or solicitor with expertise in both intellectual property and the digital regulatory framework can provide you with consistent support on all of these issues. This cross-disciplinary expertise is particularly valuable for projects involving artificial intelligence, which raise unprecedented questions about ownership of generated creations, algorithmic liability, training data protection and transparency of automated decisions.

Similarly, connected objects, IoT solutions, smart medical devices and digital health platforms require a comprehensive approach that combines innovation protection, sensitive data security (particularly health data), specific regulatory compliance and liability management. The IP/IT & Data team addresses these new intellectual property issues with in-depth knowledge of the applicable technologies and regulations.

This cross-functional approach requires close collaboration between your internal teams: legal department, IT department, marketing department, product department, and innovation department. The specialised lawyer acts as a true partner, capable of translating technical issues into legal risks and operational solutions, while maintaining the consistency of your strategy for protecting intangible assets and enhancing the value of your rights portfolio.

Why entrust your creations to Steering Legal’s IP/IT & Data team?

A specialised team within an international business law firm

The IP/IT & Data division of Steering Legal brings together lawyers specialising in intellectual property, technology law and data protection within an independent, multidisciplinary and international business law firm. This integration allows us to naturally articulate intellectual property issues with the other legal aspects of your business: corporate law, commercial law, contract law, taxation, labour law and compliance. The firm has significant experience in assisting clients with complex cases involving several areas of law.

Whether you are an innovative company seeking to protect its initial developments, a medium-sized company in the process of internationalisation, a large group managing a complex portfolio of trademarks and patents, a public player developing digital services or an investor analysing the legal risks of a transaction, Steering Legal has the expertise and agility necessary to meet your specific needs. The team provides practical assistance and is committed to offering solutions tailored to the challenges of the various sectors in which its clients operate.

Tailor-made support, in the UK and internationally

With offices in the UK and internationally, as well as a network of correspondents in Asia and several other regions of the world, Steering Legal offers a global reach tailored to the needs of its clients. This international presence enables the firm to coordinate, with its local partners, cases involving several jurisdictions, whether they concern filing strategies, cross-border litigation, international contracts or compliance issues in different markets.

This international dimension is accompanied by a pragmatic, human-scale approach, favouring proximity to clients and a detailed understanding of their business challenges. The team works on innovative projects, particularly those involving cutting-edge technologies or sensitive data (e.g. in the health or finance sectors), with a strong ability to adapt to sector-specific issues and regulatory developments. Choosing an intellectual property solicitor at Steering Legal means benefiting from the support of an experienced professional who is attentive to your challenges and the specificities of your sector.

When should you consult an intellectual property solicitor?

There are several situations that call for the intervention of a solicitor specialising in intellectual property. The launch of a new brand requires a thorough check of its availability and secure registration to avoid any opposition proceedings. The development of software, a mobile application or a digital platform requires clarification of ownership rights, the framing of relationships with developers and the structuring of terms of use.

The creation of a product with a distinctive design may justify filing for industrial design protection. An internationalisation project requires a protection strategy tailored to the new target markets and active monitoring of your rights portfolio. In the event of suspected counterfeiting or unauthorised use of your creations, swift action with the implementation of protective measures is essential to preserve your rights and competitive position.

Finally, any project involving artificial intelligence, sensitive data processing, biometrics or connected devices requires legal support covering intellectual property, data protection and regulatory compliance.

Protecting your creations, structuring their exploitation and defending your rights: these issues deserve the expertise of a firm capable of combining legal technicality, strategic vision and an international dimension. Contact Steering Legal to secure your intangible assets and support your development.