Co-ownership of IP Rights in the UK - A Bite-Sized Guide to the Key Risks & Pitfalls

Introduction

Collaborative projects often generate valuable intellectual property, making ownership one of the most critical issues to address from the outset.

It is no surprise that IP rights are a key focus of negotiations. The ability to use and exploit the resulting IP can ultimately represent the most valuable outcome of a creative or innovative venture.

Many businesses assume that co-ownership is the obvious and equitable solution and a convenient way to avoid difficult discussions. However, relying on default statutory rules can lead to arrangements that fail to reflect the parties’ commercial objectives and create significant practical and legal challenges.

This short webinar will explore the key risks and pitfalls associated with unplanned IP co-ownership and learn why carefully structured ownership arrangements are essential to protecting and maximising the value of your collaborative projects.

What You Will Learn

The webinar will cover the following:

• Deadlock risks - the absence of agreed mechanisms for resolving disputes can leave commercialisation decisions at a standstill
• Contribution disputes - under UK law, co-ownership is not automatically proportionate to each party’s contribution
• Licensing and revenue-sharing challenges - consent requirements can restrict exploitation opportunities and create barriers to generating value
• Enforcement difficulties - co-owners may be unable or unwilling to coordinate action against infringers
• Exit complications - there is no automatic right of pre-emption if one co-owner decides to sell its interest

This pre-recorded webinar will be available to view from Wednesday 20th January 2027

Alternatively, you can gain access to this webinar and 2,400+ others via the MBL Webinar Subscription. Please email webinarsubscription@mblseminars.com for more details.