Intellectual Property
In the highly competitive business world, ideas, innovation and branding provide significant opportunities to set one company apart from another.

“Shepherd and Wedderburn in Edinburgh is a highly capable commercial IP transaction and portfolio management practice.”

Chambers (2025)

Our specialist team helps clients protect, manage and commercialise this vital intellectual property (IP).

From semi-conductors to historical novels, drinks branding to confidential formulae, our clients constantly present us with original ideas and interesting problems. Our tailored response can begin at trade mark registration or design right protection. It can encompass IP strategy, from early-stage research and development through to licensing and defence. We can help maintain the IP assets and deal with any potential infringement. We can also assist clients on any IP purchase or in-licensing opportunities and, when the time is right, advise on the sale or out-licensing of their IP to third parties.

Our team has wide-ranging experience of advising businesses on intellectual property issues relating to fund-raising, mergers and acquisitions, IPOs and technology transfers.

Meet our key contacts

Paul Carlyle

Partner

Partner

Related articles and insights: Intellectual Property

13 February 2026

Supreme Court rules ‘Milk’ off-limits in advertising of plant-based products

Contributors:
Joseph Fitzgibbon, Murron Marr

The Supreme Court ruled on 11 February 2026 that the term ‘milk’ cannot be used to advertise plant-based milks. This article explains the judgement and what it means for manufacturers of dairy alternative products.

20 January 2026

Shivering this winter? Cole Palmer’s signature shiver and the emergence of motion marks in football

Contributor: Joseph Fitzgibbon

Cole Palmer is the first footballer to secure a motion mark for a celebration via a 2018 amendment to the Trade Marks Act 1994. This represents the expanding scope of trade mark protection in sport.

23 December 2025

Getty Images v Stability AI: A long-awaited judgment that leaves AI stakeholders waiting longer

Contributor: Ruairidh Leishman

Insight into the widely anticipated AI copyright infringement case, Getty Images v. Stability AI.

18 August 2025

Influencer ‘#ad-vertising’ – the ASA and the CMA’s response to the DCMS

Contributor: Carly Duckett

Carly Duckett, Solicitor in our commercial disputes team, discusses the recent responses issued by UK competition and advertising regulators regarding the importance of compliance with regulations by influencers and the brands that work with them.

23 May 2025

Key intellectual property case updates for the food and drink sector

Contributor: Carly Duckett

Our summary of five key intellectual property cases from the food and drink industry reported over the last 18 months, which distils the facts and outcomes from each case into helpful take aways and tips for businesses and individuals operating in the sector.

25 April 2025

Inaccurate personal data – what approach do the courts take and how do the principles of defamation law help?

Contributor: Ruairidh Leishman

In Pacini v Dow Jones & Co Inc, the court applied principles from defamation law to a data protection claim, to determine the meaning of allegedly incorrect personal data contained within two news articles. The case was the first to consider the single meaning of a statement as a preliminary issue in a claim solely based on data protection and the alleged inaccuracy of personal data.

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