Yesterday UK voters elected to approve a withdrawal from
the EU. What does this mean for Canadian business owners who
have intellectual property (IP) rights in the UK?
The first message for Canadian IP rights holders is (in true
British style) remain calm and keep a stiff upper lip. All of this
is going to take a while to sort out and rights holders will have
advance notice of the various means to protect their rights in an
orderly fashion. The British are not known for rash actions —
ok, other than the Brexit vote.
Rights granted by the EU Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO),
will be impacted, although the extent of the impact is still
to be negotiated and settled. The UK's membership in WIPO (the
World International Property Organisation) is independent of
EU membership and so will not be affected by this process.
Similarly, the UK's participation in the European Patent
Convention is not dependent on EU membership.
