Copyright, Unregistered Designs & Trade Secrets

Protecting What You’ve Created - Without a Registration

Not all intellectual property needs to be registered to be protected. Some rights arise automatically. Others, like trade secrets, depend on how you manage them.

Whether it’s a technical sketch, written work, digital content, or sensitive commercial know-how, our role is to ensure it’s protected, understood, and properly enforced.

We advise on the smart use of copyright, unregistered designs, and trade secrets as part of a joined-up IP strategy.

Copyright

Copyright arises the moment you create original work. That includes publications, images, websites, software code, marketing materials, and more. There’s no registration process, so there’s no formal trigger or certificate to fall back on. That’s where good advice becomes critical.

We help you:

• Understand what is and isn’t protected
• Use copyright symbols and notices correctly
• Take enforcement action when infringement occurs
• Avoid accidental misuse of someone else’s rights

From digital media to international licensing, we simplify the complex and help you stay protected without unnecessary legal friction.

Unregistered Designs

Unregistered design rights protect the shape and configuration of a product. Like copyright, they exist automatically. But unlike registered designs, their protection is narrower, shorter, and harder to enforce.

You must prove that your design has been copied, not just that it’s similar. And rights may last as little as 10 years from first sale.

We’ll help you:

• Assess if unregistered design rights are appropriate for your product
• Identify when to switch to registered protection for stronger, longer coverage
• Enforce rights efficiently when infringement occurs

Free protection can be valuable, but not always secure. We’ll help you make the right call.

Trade Secrets

Some business information is best kept out of the public domain. That’s where trade secrets come in.

Trade secrets protect confidential know-how; formulas, algorithms, internal processes, commercial strategies - anything that gives you a competitive edge and isn’t publicly disclosed.

But this form of protection only works with strong internal processes and airtight confidentiality.

We advise on:

• Identifying what qualifies as a trade secret
• Creating internal policies and staff training
• Drafting robust NDAs and commercial agreements
• Minimising risk in R&D, partnerships, and supply chains

We help you keep your secrets secret - and legally defensible.

Agreements & Enforcement

We draft and review legal agreements that support your unregistered IP, from NDAs and copyright assignments to licensing terms and enforcement strategies.

If your rights are being infringed, we act quickly and decisively, focusing on early resolution where possible, and escalation when needed.

Make It Count

If you’re relying on copyright, unregistered designs or trade secrets to protect your IP, make sure they’re working hard for your business.

Book a no-obligation consultation via our contact page. We’ll help you secure what’s yours—quietly, thoroughly, and with confidence.

Contact us