Brexit – May It Affect Your IP Rights?

Written in collaboration with P. Rohn

The referendum on whether Britain should exit the European Union has been finalized and the majority vote in the UK was to leave. The terms on which an exit will occur will need to be negotiated between the UK government and the other EU member states - a process with considerable uncertainties, which is likely to last over the next years.

There are various scenarios the UK and the EU could choose to structure their future relationship. The spectrum of options ranges from the "Norway model", under which the UK would remain closely integrated with the EU and would become member of the EEA (Europan Economic Area) and the European Free Trade Association (ETFA), to the "World Trade Organisation (WTO)"model, which would involve a complete breakaway from the EU, making the UK a completely sovereign nation which is no longer subject to any kind of EU legislation. Generally speaking, the closer the relationship between the UK and the