PART-1: (2500 WORDS)
Welford Limited is a trading company that manufactures and sells specialist rugby boots and associated sports equipment under several of its own trademarks and patents, gaining substantial sales in the UK. It wishes to export now into the rest of the EU.
Advise Welford Limited of the legal and commercial benefits and risks in using a third party intermediary, with particular attention to the comparative position of an agent (Licence) or a distributor , in order to achieve its export wishes.
NOTE : The scope of question is;
- Why anybody use license or distribution agreement and why it is important?
- Advise risks and benefits of using an intermediary
Benefits: Shared technology, increased sales, premium prices, royalties, spread overhead costs and financial risks, increased brand awareness, expanded markets
Risks: Harm reputation and legal goodwill, sharing trade secrets, a potential future competitor, EU Regulation, Article 101 TFEU over 10% or 15% of relevant market, distance between owner and consumer.
PART -2 (2500 WORDS)
Welford (Licensor) is willing to grant a 5 year licence of their WELFORD trade mark to Leicester Clothing Limited, a successful manufacturer of casual ware and have received the first draft of the proposed licence from them ; two clauses from this are listed below.
Analyse the clauses commenting upon the legal and commercial effect of their inclusion. Suggest more favourable alternatives and explain why these are better for the interests of your client. You are not required to draft the alternative clauses.
You are advised to review the precedents and your notes on the clauses within licences that were discussed in seminars.
NOTE: Please analyse clauses respectively. For example;
- Introduction
- Article 2 – Royalty
(Article 2.1 – 2.2 Sub Paragraphs)
- Article 5 – Quality control
(Articles between 5.1 and 5.6. Sub Paragraphs)
- Conclusion
Extract from proposed Licence
- Royalty
(What is the risks and benefits lump sum and royalty share? Do you advise lump sum or royalty share? Why? Political, economic and social issues can be considered.)
2.1 The Licensee shall pay to the Licensor a payment of £10,000 for the rights included in the Grant of this Agreement, payable within 30 calendar days of the Execution Date.
(we can add interest for late payment)
2.2 The provisions of this clause 2 shall remain in effect notwithstanding termination or expiry of this agreement until the settlement of all subsisting claims.
[Clauses 3 and 4 not copied]
5. Quality control
(reputation / passing off)
5.1 The Licensee shall ensure that the Licensed Products and their packaging comply with the Minimum Quality Standards at all times.
5.2 In the event that the Licensee does not, in its own opinion, produce products that comply with Clause 5.1 it shall sell, market, distribute or use for any purpose, or permit any third party to sell, market, distribute or use for any purpose, these goods in an area outside the Licensee’s Territory.
5.3 The Licensee shall, on the Licensor’s request, provide the Licensor with details of any complaints it has received relating to the Licensed Products together with reports on the manner in which such complaints are being, or have been, dealt with and shall comply with any reasonable directions given by the Licensor in respect thereof.
5.4 The Licensee shall procure that all Licensed Products sold by the Licensee and all related quotations, specifications and descriptive literature, and all other materials carrying the Mark, be marked with:
“Made by Leicester Clothing Limited”
or with any other statement as notified in writing from the Licensor to the Licensee.
5.5 Any goodwill derived from the use by the Licensee of the Mark shall accrue to the Licensor. The Licensor may, at any time, call for a confirmatory assignment of that goodwill and the Licensee shall immediately execute it.
5.6 The Licensee shall not do, or omit to do, or permit to be done, any act that will or may weaken, damage or be detrimental to the Mark or the reputation or goodwill associated with the Mark or the Licensor, or that may invalidate or jeopardise any registration of the Mark.
SOURCES
BOOKS:
- Intellectual property – David I. Bainbridge 2012
- Intellectual property law – Lionel Bently, Brad Sherman 2014
Ian Hargreaves, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills 18 May 2011
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/32563/ipreview-finalreport.pdf
Margot E. Kaminski 1st January 2011
http://digitalcommons.wcl.american.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1019&context=research
- Holyoak and Torremans intellectual property law – Paul Torremans, Jon Holyoak 2016
Chapters 17 (‘Rights in performances’) & 32 (‘Remedies in intellectual property litigation’) (2013, 7th) ed. which are the same in 2016 (8th) edition.
Charlotte Waelde, Abbe Brown, Smita Kheria, Jane Cornwell 2016
ARTICLES
Patricia Akester 2010
Full text on ‘Westlaw UK’.
Oliver Bray 2008
Full text on ‘Westlaw UK’.
Simon Clark 1996
Full text on ‘Westlaw UK’.
Niva Elkin-Koren November 2005
Full text on ‘HeinOnline’.
Joelle Farchy 2009
Full text on ‘Westlaw UK’.
Simon Fitzpatrick 2003
Full text on ‘Westlaw UK’.
Christophe Geiger 2007
Full text on ‘Westlaw UK’.
Kirstin Huniar 2006
Full text on ‘Westlaw UK’.
Laddie, Justice 1996
Full text on ‘Westlaw UK’.
Jon Lang 2003
Full text on ‘Westlaw UK’.
Paul Lavery 1998
Full text on ‘Westlaw UK’.
Emma Leith 2011
Full text on ‘Westlaw UK’.
Christopher Stothers 2005
Full text on ‘Westlaw UK’.
Christopher Wadlow 2007
Full text on ‘Westlaw UK’.
David Webber 2005
Full text on ‘Westlaw UK’.
John Worthy 1994
Full text on ‘Westlaw UK’.


