Katy Bourne

Senior Associate, Pinsent Masons

Intellectual Property lawyer advising clients on the protection, enforcement and defence of their IP rights worldwide.

Katy is in the Brands and Creative Rights team at Pinsent Masons. She advises clients in a variety of sectors, across the full range of IP rights and at all stages in a brand’s journey. Katy also provides advertising copy clearance services and advises on issues such as influencer advertising.

Katy has a particular interest in the manufacturing sector and is the Chair of the Pinsent Masons Diversified Industrial Evolve Committee. She is an avid contributor to Pinsent Masons’ Future of Mobility campaign, having previously undertaken an eight-month secondment to Jaguar Land Rover. She also takes a keen interest in the metaverse, NFTs and the risks and rewards to brands in utilising social media.

Having completed a Postgraduate Diploma in Intellectual Property Law and Practice in 2018, Katy’s pass was amongst the first 15%. Katy’s technical ability has been recognised in the Legal500 2021 and 2022 rankings where she is a “Rising Star” and is “recommended”. She was also shortlisted as the Future Face of Legal in 2020 and 2021 by the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce Future Faces Committee.

Contributed to

1

Brand protection and enforcement in the Metaverse

Practice notes

This Practice Note sets out the considerations that right holders should take into account when protecting and enforcing their brands in the Metaverse. It covers the points to consider when planning the scope of trade mark or design protection, including identifying and plugging gaps in protection. It also sets out issues to consider when licensing a brand for use in the Metaverse. When it comes to enforcement, this Practice Note deals with monitoring potential infringements, identifying infringers, potential causes of action, jurisdiction issues, remedies and general enforcement challenges. It concludes with some practical tips to assist right holders when protecting and enforcing their brands.