WLA INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
Global IP strategy, patent prosecution, trademark registration, and brand protection across multiple jurisdictions simultaneously. WLA IP specialists embedded in the world's fastest-growing innovation markets — from Silicon Valley to Shenzhen to Bangalore.
EVERY DIMENSION OF
CROSS-BORDER INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY.
WLA's IP practice co-practices patent, trademark, copyright, and trade secret matters across multiple jurisdictions simultaneously — with specialist partner firms in each territory holding the engagement jointly from strategy through to enforcement.
Multi-jurisdiction patent prosecution coordinated through WLA — national filings, PCT applications, EPO proceedings, and post-grant opposition managed across all required territories on one timeline.
- PCT international applications and national phase entries
- EPO prosecution — examination, opposition, appeal
- National filings across 90+ jurisdictions coordinated
- Patent portfolio strategy and freedom-to-operate analysis
- Patent due diligence for M&A and licensing transactions
Global trademark registration strategy, brand protection enforcement, and anti-counterfeiting programmes across every major consumer market — coordinated through WLA's specialist IP partner firms in each jurisdiction.
- Madrid Protocol international registration coordination
- EUIPO Community Trade Mark prosecution and opposition
- National trademark registrations across 90+ jurisdictions
- Anti-counterfeiting enforcement — customs, online, and physical markets
- Brand acquisition due diligence and post-M&A brand consolidation
Complex cross-border IP licensing structures, technology transfer agreements, and royalty structures across multiple legal systems — including transfer pricing compliance for intra-group IP arrangements.
- In-licensing and out-licensing of patents, software, and know-how
- Cross-border technology transfer agreements
- IP holding structure design and optimisation
- Franchise and merchandising agreement multi-jurisdiction compliance
- Royalty structures and transfer pricing for IP arrangements
Multi-jurisdiction IP enforcement — patent, trademark, and trade secret litigation coordinated across parallel proceedings in multiple countries simultaneously, under one WLA co-practice framework.
- Parallel patent infringement actions across multiple jurisdictions
- ITC 337 investigations alongside US district court proceedings
- Cross-border trade secret misappropriation — civil and criminal
- Pan-European UPC proceedings under the new EU patent court
- Coordination with TheNeutrals.ORG™ for IP ADR
The fastest-growing area of WLA's IP practice. AI-generated IP ownership, software copyright, data licensing structures, and the evolving regulatory landscape under the EU AI Act and equivalent national frameworks.
- AI-generated IP ownership structures across jurisdictions
- Software patent strategy — patentable vs. copyright protection
- Data licensing and data governance frameworks
- EU AI Act compliance — high-risk AI system IP implications
- Open source licensing compliance across M&A transactions
IP due diligence for M&A transactions is a core capability of WLA's Transactional and IP practices working together — assessing the validity, ownership, and freedom-to-use of IP assets across every jurisdiction where the target operates.
- Full IP portfolio audit — patents, trademarks, copyright, trade secrets
- Freedom-to-operate analysis in each operating jurisdiction
- IP ownership chain verification — particularly for software and AI
- Licence agreement review and assignment/change-of-control analysis
- Post-acquisition IP integration and consolidation planning
IP IS AT THE HEART OF
EVERY CROSS-BORDER DEAL.
In technology M&A, pharmaceutical licensing, and brand acquisitions, IP is often the primary asset being bought or sold. WLA's IP practice works alongside the Transactional practice — with IP specialists in each jurisdiction conducting due diligence simultaneously with the deal team, on the same timeline, under the same co-practice framework.
The result: IP issues surface early, not at signing. Cross-jurisdiction IP gap analysis is available before the LOI is executed. Post-completion IP integration is already planned before the deal closes.
- IP due diligence running parallel to deal due diligence — same timeline
- Patent freedom-to-operate in every operating jurisdiction before signing
- Trade secret protection assessment — particularly in technology M&A
- IP representations and warranties aligned across all jurisdictions
- Post-completion IP assignment and registration in each territory
WHAT'S MOVING IN
CROSS-BORDER IP RIGHT NOW.
WLA Intelligence tracks IP-specific regulatory changes, court decisions, and filing framework updates across 80+ jurisdictions daily. Live IP signals for informed cross-border IP strategy.
| JURISDICTION | SIGNAL | INDEX |
|---|---|---|
|
EU
Patent / UPC
|
Unitary Patent Court (UPC) — Caseload exceeding projections. Pan-European injunctions becoming standard enforcement tool for patent holders. | Active |
|
India
Patent Office
|
Indian Patent Office Backlog Reduction — New examiner capacity and AI-assisted examination cutting grant timeline to 24 months for standard applications. | +28% |
|
EU
AI Act / IP
|
EU AI Act — IP Implications — Article 53 transparency requirements creating new IP disclosure obligations for general-purpose AI model developers. | Active |
|
UK
AI Copyright
|
UK AI Copyright Consultation — Government proposing text and data mining exception for AI training. Significant IP implications for content owners globally. | Watch |
|
US
USPTO / AI
|
USPTO AI Inventorship Guidelines — AI cannot be listed as inventor under US law. Human inventor guidance for AI-assisted inventions now published. | Active |