Our Intellectual Property (IP) team at Stephens Scown assist clients with identification and exploitation of their intangible assets. Many start ups aren’t always sure what IP they have, or how they can put it to good use. Fortunately, the UK Intellectual Property Office (IPO) provides a part funded audit service “IP Audits Plus”.
We’re pleased to announce that our client Gummee Glove has been featured as a case study for the IP Audits Plus service;
Gummee Glove is a teething mitten designed for babies who are too young to hold a traditional teether but are constantly gnawing on their hands. The glove comprises of a detachable rubber teething ring and a separate pouch for travelling and/or washing.
In 2013, as part of the GrowthAccelerator service (now part of the Business Growth Service), Gummee Glove was awarded an IP audit by the Intellectual Property Office. Jodine Boothby, Managing Director of Gummee Glove explained why she was keen for her business to be involved in the service:
“I applied for an audit to ensure our IP was protected enough should we ever need to prove what we own. We knew we wanted to go global with our sales so we wanted to make sure all areas were covered as much as we could afford.”
Prior to the audit, Gummee Glove had already registered some of their IP, although the audit identified additional opportunities as Jodine explained:
“At the time, our trade mark and registered designs were only protected in the UK. After the audit, and talking to Stephens Scown about our future plans, we then registered our IP in the markets we were planning to target next.”
Registering the Gummee Glove trade mark under additional goods and services was just one of the recommendations that arose from the audit. Other suggestions included protecting the names of new and existing products and using non-disclosure agreements when dealing with our parties. Jodine told us how she was able to implement all of the recommendations with invaluable help from the IP team at Stephens Scown, an additional benefit of the IP audit service:
“We took out a retainer with Stephens Scown following the audit and we implemented all their recommendations. We made sure we had all the right legal documentation on file such as manufacturing agreements and distribution agreements.
“The follow up advice from the team at Stephens Scown has been essential and invaluable. We learned and continue to learn a great deal from them. We’ve been able to pick up the phone when there has been a question or problem of a legal nature and each time, they have been able to help us come to a conclusion that has benefited us.”
With new procedures in place and all the recommendations actioned, we asked Jodine what impact the audit has had on her business. She told us:
“The benefits have been huge – we have a great IP portfolio now. It has been essential process for Gummee Glove, as it has also really helped us with our planning and business strategy before we enter new territories or come up with new product ideas. The most useful piece of advice has been to make sure we value and grow our trade mark’s reputation as well as focusing on the product ideas.”
The IP audits service has clearly been worthwhile for Gummee Glove, but what would Jodine say to other business thinking of applying?
“It is an excellent tool to help really evaluate where your business is, versus where it needs to be. It highlights areas where you should focus and helps you to clearly see risks and opportunities and really plan ahead. Essentially, it becomes part of your business plan and almost dictates it!”
With this in mind, Gummee Glove said they would be happy to contribute towards this service.
“If I was a new company just starting out, I’d view the audit as essential, to help understand what our priorities were and to help us plan and budget. It would obviously all come down to what we could afford, but yes, I’d definitely consider contributing.”
Following the audit, Gummee Glove now considers IP as an integral part of their business and will continue to expand their IP portfolio as their business grows:
“As and when we enter new territories” said Jodine, “we will ensure our IP is applied for those areas. As and when we bring in new products to market, we will make sure we have all the necessary IP in place.”
The IP Audits Plus service is available on a referral basis through one of the IPO’s recognised partners. In England this is the Business Growth Service. Businesses engaged on the service may apply for an IP audit if they meet the requirements. For more information click here.