Legal & Business Affairs
“… that is the Law. How could there be a mistake in that?”
“I don’t know this law,” said K
“All the worse for you,” replied the Warder
- The Trial, Franz Kafka
Medici provides a Legal & Business affairs service much like you would find in a large corporation, but at an affordable, cost effective price, tailored to suit your needs and with a billing that suits you. Fixed fee or retainer our fees are structured to you.
Details of our Business affairs service can be found on this page. But feel free to contact us whatever your requirements.
Intellectual Property & Brand Protection
what are the qualities of which it is composed.”
- Marcus Aurelius
Most companies rely on their Brands for profitability, yet few understand what a Brand is exactly. In practice a Brand is a bundle of rights and understanding those rights and how they interact is a key part of being able to effectively exploit and protect your assets.
- Is your Brand capable of Trademark Protection?
- Is your Brand a de facto unregistered trademark?
- Is there copyright in your Brand?
- Is your Brand the subject of Design Right?
- How should I register the Brand as a Domain?
- ® or ™, what’s the difference?
- Are there franchising possibilities in your Brand?
- Is your Brand adequately protected?
Protecting Brands isn’t just a question of simple legal registration or copyright protection. Brands should be built with exploitation in mind, not simply develop by happenstance or whim.
Major corporations protect their brands with in-house departments dedicated to the task, now you can as well with Medici’s experience in Brand Protection and exploitation. Investment in your brand in the early stages will put you ahead of the competition.
Medici understands Trademark, Passing Off and Copyright, how they relate to products, marketing and profit; its something you can’t afford to ignore in your business strategy.
- Our services include
- Copyright Registration
- Under UK law there is no central register of copyright like the United States and no requirement to register a copyright work. But in case of disputes proof of earlier creation is important, we will record your work and provide a declaration or witness statement detailing when we received it and the nature of its contents.
- Non-disclosure agreements
- Trademarks
- Designs
Company Secretary
The new companies act removes the requirement for private companies to have a company secretary but it doesn’t remove the, often complex, rules and regulations that govern private companies. The cost effective way to deal with this is a virtual company secretary that handles these matters for you in a cost effective manner.
- Services include
- Maintenance of Statutory Books
- Resolutions & Board Meetings
- Shareholder Agreements
“Take no enterprise in hand at haphazard,
or without regard to the principles
governing its proper execution”
- Marcus Aurelius
E-Commerce & Domains
The internet is now an integral part of the business world but with great power comes great responsibility. Trading on the net means you’re trading throughout the World, not just down the road and they do things very differently in foreign countries. What’s legal here isn’t always legal there. Whilst it’s not feasible to ensure your business complies with the legislation of the hundreds of countries from which your site can be accessed, it is possible to minimise the risk depending on what type of e-commerce you’re engaged in. Medici has been involved in the launch, regulation and financial activities of numerous e-commerce operations, ones that survive and grow. Our expertise will help you avoid the pitfalls of e-commerce so often fallen into by the unwary, the inexperienced and the short-sighted. We also understand the ownership and transfer of domains, including the dispute procedures governing the registration of a domain you may consider your own. Cost effective recovery is our goal at Medici; we can help.
One who adapts his policy to the times prospers, likewise one whose policy clashes with the times does not.
- Niccolò Machiavelli
Regulations
These days, like it or not, we’re part of the European Union, we have to recognise the fundamental rights of others. In short we’re surrounded by regulation and we live in a country where "Ignorantia juris non excusat" - Ignorance of the law excuses no one.
But the law dictates what one can and cannot promise in this area and it can be unforgiving for the unwary and the naïve. Medici has assisted in the formulation and execution of hundreds of marketing and promotional campaigns, from small launch events to major TV and Radio promotions. It isn’t just a question of getting the PR right. The clearance of third party materials, the payment to rights collection organizations and the compliance with the statutory rules of promotion and advertising are all part of a successful promotional operation. Medici’s experience can assist. It’s all part of the package.
- Our Services Include:
- Advertising Standards Regulations
- Promotions, Prize Draws & Giveaways
- Unfair Trading Regulations
- Sale of Goods
- Trade Description
"Whenever you have an efficient government you have a dictatorship."
- Harry S Truman
Data Protection
The Data Protection Act 1998 places obligations on organisations that use personal information. Under the Act every Organisation that processes personal information must notify the Information Commissioner’s Office, unless they are exempt. Failure to notify is a criminal offence.
"When I took office, only high energy physicists had ever heard of what is
called the Worldwide Web.... Now even my cat has its own page."
- Bill Clinton
Whether an organisation is exempt or not the provisions of the Data Protection Act will still apply to it and must still be adhered to.
Are you aware of those provisions? Are your staff?
Medici can assist your organisation in Data Protection Compliance both directly (such as Audit and review) or via training your staff.
Mediation
Mediation is a method of resolving disputes between parties without court action, for example where an amount of money is in dispute, or there is a dispute over the supply of goods/services, or a party feels that they are owed some form of recompense by another. As a means of resolving commercial disputes, mediation offers a common-sense alternative to court action. Mediation is fast, confidential, inexpensive, and able to generate outcomes that would not usually be achievable by going to court.
Medici can use its experience of resolving disputes and customer care to provide a cheaper alternative to court action. Please contact us for details
“I was never ruined but twice:
Once when I lost a lawsuit, and once
when I won one”
- Voltaire