Intellectual
Property

Protecting the ideas that drive your business

Your ideas | Your innovations | Your brand | Our IP practice understands that these assets make your business unique, and we know how to protect them.

Our IP teams offer a breadth of experience in IP transactional and advisory work, covering the full range of IP subjects, in both domestic and international contexts.

Examples of our work include:

• Patent, trademark and copyright litigation
• Technology licences and joint ventures and other forms of technical cooperation and development
• Brand licensing, sponsorship and franchising agreements
• Copyright-based agreements across the creative industries with a particularly strong experience and focus on digital and online aspects
• Analysis of IP portfolios and IP-related agreements in M&A and financing projects, inputting into transaction documents and preparing associated agreements
• IP risk assessment on proposed new ventures and advice on risk minimisation
• Advice on best practice use and protection of IP
• Patent licensing and cross-licensing
• Advertising

Trade Mark Registration & Protection

We advise brand owners on the registration, maintenance, and enforcement of trade marks across Uganda, the East African region, and internationally — including opposition proceedings and watch services to protect against infringing marks.

Patents & Utility Models

We assist inventors and businesses in securing patent protection for innovations, drafting and filing patent applications, advising on freedom-to-operate analyses, and managing patent portfolios across multiple jurisdictions.

Copyright & Related Rights

We advise creators, publishers, broadcasters, and technology companies on copyright ownership, licensing, moral rights, fair dealing, and enforcement — including takedown procedures for digital infringement.

IP Licensing & Commercialisation

We structure and negotiate IP licensing agreements, technology transfer arrangements, franchising agreements, and other IP-driven commercial deals that maximise the value of our clients' intellectual assets.

Domain Names & Online Brand Protection

We advise on domain name registration strategy, cybersquatting disputes, UDRP proceedings, and broader online brand protection measures to safeguard our clients' digital presence.

IP Litigation & Enforcement

We represent IP rights holders and defendants in infringement litigation, passing-off actions, counterfeiting matters, and customs seizures — providing robust enforcement strategies tailored to the facts of each case.

Industries we serve

Our intellectual property practice serves clients across a wide spectrum of industries, applying sector-specific knowledge to every IP mandate.

IP Audit & Strategy

We begin by reviewing your existing IP assets and business objectives to develop a tailored IP strategy — identifying what needs protection, how to protect it, and where enforcement priorities lie.

Registration & Prosecution

We file and prosecute applications for trade marks, patents, designs, and other IP rights before the Uganda Registration Services Bureau, ARIPO, and international registries as required.

Commercialisation

We structure licensing, assignment, and technology transfer agreements that maximise the commercial value of your IP portfolio while protecting your underlying rights.

Enforcement & Monitoring

We implement watch services to detect infringement, advise on enforcement options, and take decisive action — through litigation, customs enforcement, or alternative dispute resolution — to protect your rights.