Using someone else's intellectual property

When setting up a business, changing brand, or selling new products, it is vital to ensure your business ideas do not infringe on others' without their permission. This section will help you to conduct market research to ensure your branding and ideas are not infringing on anyone else's . Additionally, if you do wish to buy someone else's , ask their permission to use it, or check whether you can use someone's without permission, this section will help you to do so.

Market research and intellectual property when setting up a business

  1. 1.Why is it important to avoid infringing on somebody else's intellectual property when setting up my business?
  2. 2.How can I avoid infringing on someone else's intellectual property when setting up my business?

Checking business names and domain names

  1. 3.How can I check that my proposed business name is available and not already in use by somebody else?
  2. 4.How can I check that my proposed name is not the same as another registered company?
  3. 5.How can I check that my proposed name is not the same or similar to the unregistered trading name of another business?
  4. 6.How can I check that my proposed name does not infringe on any trademarks?
  5. 7.How can I check if my proposed business website domain name is available?
  6. 8.Can I keep my .eu domain name after Brexit?

Checking designs or logos, inventions and copyright

  1. 9.How do I ensure that my designs or logos are not the same or similar to someone else's?
  2. 10.How do I search the design register to ensure that my designs or logos are not the same or similar to someone else's?
  3. 11. How do I search for unregistered designs to ensure that my designs or logos are not the same or similar to someone else's?
  4. 12.How to I search the trade mark register to ensure that my designs or logos are not the same or similar to someone else's?
  5. 13.How can I check whether my business invention already exists?
  6. 14.How can I search the patent databases to check whether my business invention already exists?
  7. 15. What general searches of the internet and public domain should I do to check whether my invention already exists?
  8. 16.How do I ensure that I do not infringe someone else's copyrighted work?

Buying someone else's intellectual property

  1. 17.How do I buy someone else's intellectual property?
  2. 18.How much should I pay for someone else's intellectual property?
  3. 19.How do I buy someone else's patent?
  4. 20.What should a sale agreement for a patent look like?
  5. 21.How do I complete Patents Form 21 to register as the new patent owner?
  6. 22.How do I buy someone else's trade mark?
  7. 23.What should a sale agreement for a trade mark look like?
  8. 24.How do I complete Trade Mark Form 16 to apply to be recorded as the new registered owner?
  9. 25.How do I buy someone else's copyright?
  10. 26.What should a sale agreement for copyright look like?
  11. 27.How do I buy copyright from more than one owner?
  12. 28.What are moral rights in copyright?
  13. 29.Do moral rights mean that I cannot use the copyright I have bought from someone?
  14. 30.How do I buy someone else's design right?
  15. 31. What should a sale agreement for a design right look like?
  16. 32.How do I complete Designs Form 12A to apply to be registered as the new owner of the design?
  17. 33.Can the original owner limit how I use intellectual property I have bought?
  18. 34.Can the original owner of intellectual property I have bought continue using it themselves?
  19. 35. How can I use someone else's intellectual property if I haven't bought it?

Getting a licence to use someone else's intellectual property

  1. 36. What is a licence from someone to use their intellectual property?
  2. 37.How do I get a licence to use someone else's intellectual property?
  3. 38.What is a licence of right for a patent?
  4. 39.What should a licence agreement to use someone else's intellectual property look like?
  5. 40.Can the owner of intellectual property I use change the terms of my licence to use it?
  6. 41.Can the owner of intellectual property I use cancel my licence to use it?

Using someone else's intellectual property without permission

  1. 42.Can I use someone else's intellectual property without permission to do so?
  2. 43.Can I use someone else's copyrighted work without permission if the copyright has expired?
  3. 44.Can I use someone else's copyrighted work without permission for criticism or review?
  4. 45.Can I quote from someone else's copyrighted work without permission?
  5. 46.Can I create a backup of computer software without permission?
  6. 47.Can I decompile computer software to create an independent program without permission?
  7. 48.Can I test or study computer software without permission?
  8. 49.Can I copy or adapt computer software to repair errors in the program without permission?
  9. 50.Can I use someone else's design without permission if the design right has expired?
  10. 51.Can I use someone else's design without permission for experiments?
  11. 52.Can I use someone else's patent without permission if the patent has expired?
  12. 53.Can I use someone else's patent without permission to experiment?
  13. 54.Can I use my own name or address if it is similar to someone else's trade mark without permission?
  14. 55.Can I use a description that is similar to someone else's trade mark without permission?
  15. 56.Can I use a trade mark without permission where I need to indicate what my product or service is used for?

Using intellectual property when you don't know who owns it

  1. 57.If I cannot find the owner of intellectual property I want to use, can I use it without permission?
  2. 58.Can I use orphan copyrighted works without permission?
  3. 59.What is Open Source software?
  4. 60.What is Open Source software used for in business?
  5. 61.What should I look out for in an Open Source licence?
  6. 62.Will I own the copyright for the software I create using Open Source software?
  7. 63.What are Creative Commons works?
  8. 64.Can I use Creative Commons works without permission?