It’s our people that make the difference

Our partners and attorneys are highly qualified and highly experienced to advise you in all areas of Intellectual Property law. We advise start-ups, SMEs, and multinational corporations and ensure that your inventions, brands and designs are expertly protected.

Our specialist teams cover a huge range of industries and technical fields, from automotive and aerospace and electronics and electrical engineering to cosmetics and pharmaceuticals.

Services

At AA Thornton, we provide a comprehensive service offering to help you protect your Intellectual Property and maximise your assets. By combining the expertise of patent and trade mark attorneys, as well as solicitors within a single firm, we can offer you a customised comprehensive service.

International

Our clients range from multinational corporations, to SMEs, to individual inventors, across a broad spectrum of industries. Our client base is centred in the UK but covers many other parts of the globe, notably Europe, North America, India and the Far East. We also work for overseas attorneys and professional advisers, representing their clients’ Intellectual Property interests in the UK, Germany and Europe.

Latest News


Clarity from EPO on Priority Entitlement in Patent Proceedings

The Enlarged Board of Appeal of the EPO recently delivered its long-awaited decision in the consolidated cases G 1/22 and G 2/22, bringing much-needed clarity to the contentious issue of priority entitlement. This decision not only reaffirms the EPO’s authority to assess entitlement to priority but also upholds the validity of the “PCT Joint Applicants… Read more »


Mike Jennings recognised in IAM Strategy 300

Mike Jennings has been recognised in the IAM Strategy 300: The World’s Leading IP Strategists 2023 (and in 2022). The IAM Strategy 300: The World’s Leading IP Strategists 2023 is an annual listing of individuals who lead the way in the development and implementation of strategies that maximise the value of IP portfolios. Mike Jennings… Read more »


EPO’s “10-day rule” to be abandoned effective from 1st November 2023

From 1st November 2023, the “10-day rule” for notifications will no longer apply. For documents dated on or after 1st November 2023, deadlines will normally be calculated from the date of the letter, not from 10 days after the date of the letter. What is the “10-day rule”? Currently, a document is deemed to be… Read more »


Latest Insights


UK update on AI patentability – High Court overturns refusal for a trained Artificial Neural Network (ANN)

The UK High Court has overturned an earlier UKIPO refusal of a patent application for a trained Artificial Neural Network (ANN).This is encouraging for applicants who are investing in AI patenting in the UK.  The UKIPO quickly confirmed that it is changing its examination practice to reflect the court’s judgement.   The UKIPO’s earlier decision… Read more »


Absolutely Not Registrable: Logos and Emblems

As Trade Mark Attorneys, one of the questions we are asked  almost daily basis is whether new marks are registrable. As UK IPO practice is forever evolving, it can be helpful to conduct regular reviews of the kinds of marks being refused by the UK IPO. In the latest instalment of our seasonal round-up, we… Read more »


‘Whack-a-mole’ Dynamic Website Blocking Order

The Background Sports events are a lucrative business, with the associated intellectual property rights highly guarded by the organisations authorised to broadcast them. However, the allure of easy money has tempted some to exploit sports broadcasts unlawfully. This resulted in the sentencing of five men in May 2023 who had been illegally streaming Premier League… Read more »