Intellectual property and e-commerce

摘要

Many foreign companies have licensing agreements with British manufacturers. The courts are generally helpful in enforcing licensers' rights. If a British court believes that a company is using trademark protection to prevent parallel imports from a licensee or by the licenser, it will probably dismiss any claim of infringement. Registration, which is possible with industrial-design rights, patents and trademarks, is advisable whenever possible. There are no statutory restrictions on the size of royalties or on other licensing arrangements. Nevertheless, HM Revenue & Customs polices royalty payments to the foreign parent companies to guard against their use in tax avoidance. Regulatory considerations do not significantly alter the comparative advantages of licensing, exporting to the UK or producing by a wholly owned or joint-venture affiliate. British companies are eager customers for expertise from other countries, though many licensing deals are between foreign parents and their British affiliates.