This Practice note considers the application of UK competition law to transactions involving intellectual property (IP) rights, and to the exercise of IP rights. It examines the principles of EU law that apply to intellectual property rights generally and their relevance in the UK domestic context, going on to consider the application of the Competition Act 1998 and the Enterprise Act 2002 to licences of patents, trade marks, rights in designs, copyright and computer software.

Note: The UK left the EU on 31 January 2020 with the transition period complete on 31 December 2020. For further information see Practice notes, Brexit: implications for UK competition law enforcement.