Jurisdiction(s):
United Kingdom

Assigning IP Rights in the UK Post‑Brexit: Formalities, Equitable and Partial Assignments, Future Rights and Registration across Trade Marks, Designs, Copyright, Patents and Database Right

Published by a LexisNexis IP expert

Practice notes

Legislative framework

This Practice Note explores the transfer of IP rights. It sets out the statutory rules on the formal requirements for effecting legal assignments of patents, trade marks, copyright and designs, as contained in the Patents Act 1977 (PA 1977), the Trade Marks Act 1994 (TMA 1994), the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 (CDPA 1988), the Registered Designs Act 1949 (RDA 1949) and Assimilated Regulation (EU) 6/2002, and addresses the possibility of partial assignments. It also addresses equitable assignments of IP rights. Alongside the shared principles applicable to patents, trade marks, copyright and designs, it identifies the specific issues to be considered when transferring each distinct right. The Note additionally deals with the assignment of rights that may arise in future, and with assignments of comparable trade marks and re-registered designs. It explains how to register, or otherwise record, assignments at the UK Intellectual Property Office (IPO), together with the ramifications of failing to register. Finally, it distils the principal terms of an assignment and offers practical pointers for both assignor and assignee to bear in mind...

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Web page updated on 21/05/2026

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