Geoffrey Hobbs KC > Chambers of Lord Grabiner KC > London, England > Barrister Profile
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One Essex Court
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Geoffrey Hobbs KC
Position
Barrister specialising in intellectual property law and related aspects of competition law including authors’ rights, breach of confidence, broadcasting, computer software agreements, copyright, covenants not to compete, designs, employees’ inventions, European and UK competition (as affecting the enforcement/exploitation of intellectual property rights and agreements), medicines’ licensing under European directives and UK law, misleading advertising, passing off and unfair competition, patent and know-how licences, patents, performers’ rights, publishing and recording agreements, restraint of trade, service marks, songwriters and entertainers contracts, technical assistance agreements, trade marks, trade secrets; a synopsis of notable cases in which he has been involved is available on request.
Career
Qualified 1977, Inner Temple; Silk 1991.
Education
Southampton University (LLB).
Lawyer Rankings
London Bar > Intellectual property
(Leading Silks)Ranked: Tier 1Geoffrey Hobbs KC – One Essex Court ‘Geoffrey is a doyen of the IP Bar with particular strength in trade marks and copyright. He is a gifted advocate who holds the attention of the court, in particular at the appellate level, where much of his work is done.’
One Essex Court has significant expertise across a wide range of IP disputes, including those involving trade marks, passing off, copyright, designs, comparative advertising, database rights, trade secrets, and privacy. It also handles contractual and licensing disputes involving IP rights, and the set has been increasingly active in patent-related mandates. Geoffrey Hobbs KC is the senior appointed person that hears appeals from the UK Registrar of Trade Marks under s76 Trade Marks Act 1994, and both he and Philip Roberts KC are instructed by the claimants on the landmark Supreme Court case Sky Plc v Skykick UK regarding trade mark infringements and the test for determining bad faith in the Trade Marks Act 1994. Emma Himsworth KC also sits as an appointed person, and is particularly skilled in matters involving trade marks and passing off, and senior junior Guy Hollingworth represents the claimant in TikTok Information Technologies UK Limited v Stitch Editing Ltd, a case concerning Stitch Editing’s application to register the trademark STITCH.