Monthly Archives: novembre 2020

Brexit and IP – How can you protect your intellectual property?

You insure your property and have contracts with suppliers and customers for the sale and purchase of goods but what are you doing to protect your ideas, services and products?

Assets that cannot be seen – including design rights, patents, trademarks and copyrights – have immense value to businesses and can be protected.

They are known as ‘intellectual property’ and there are steps you can take to ensure that you have exclusive control to utilise and exploit these assets for your benefit.

At the current time it is unclear whether trademarks registered in the EU would be applicable to the UK in the future.

If you own any intellectual property rights, check with your solicitor or IP adviser to ensure you will be protected from 1st January 2021.

To help SMEs prepare for Brexit, we have produced some useful materials including:

• reparing for Brexit: A Guide for SMEs (including helpful links to tools and further resources); and
• A 15-point Action Plan.

If you would like a copy of the guide or the 15-point Action Plan, please get in touch.

Data Protection and GDPR in a post Brexit World

After the Brexit transition period ends on 31 December 2020, the EU GDPR will no longer be law in the UK. However, as the UK government intends to write the GDPR into UK law, from all practical perspectives, GDPR will continue to apply.

This means UK organisations and individuals that process or transfer the personal data of EU-27 citizens from the EU to the UK may need to take action to continue the free flow of data from the EU to the UK and guarantee the protection of EU data subjects. The action required will vary according to whether there is a deal (as set out in any withdrawal agreement) or no deal.

After transition, the UK will be a « third country » until the EU makes an adequacy decision regarding the UK. Until then, the transfer of personal data from the EEA to the UK will only be allowed if ‘appropriate safeguards’ are in place. Such safeguards include Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs). SCCs must be inserted into contracts (whether controller to controller or controller to processor) before Brexit, and their wording must follow that approved by the European Commission.

Transfers of personal data to the EU/ EEA from the UK will not be affected and transfers to and from countries outside of the EU/EEA will be subject to the same rules as now. The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has published a checklist of six steps that businesses can take now to start preparing for data protection compliance in the event of no-deal.

View this checklist here:

https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/data-protection-at-the-end-of-the-transitionperiod/

The government has also produced guidance on using personal data after Brexit, this is available here:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/using-personal-data-after-brexit

To help SMEs prepare for Brexit, we have produced some useful materials including:

Preparing for Brexit: A Guide for SMEs (including helpful links to tools and further resources);

A 15-point Action Plan.

If you would like a copy of the guide or the 15-point Action Plan, please get in touch.

Updated Coronavirus Support Business Guide

Following the most recent changes announced by the Government, we have pleasure in presenting a further revision to the support available to businesses.

Taxes and insurance

Brexit will impact on a number of areas including import VAT, insurance and VAT registration in the EU.

Check the detailed HMRC, ABI and UK Government guidance to see what steps you need to take.

The Chamber of Commerce has produced a very helpful guide and checklist – covering this plus many more areas – which you can download here:
https://www.britishchambers.org.uk/page/post-transition-brexit-checklist

To help SMEs prepare for Brexit, we have produced some useful materials including:

• Preparing for Brexit: A Guide for SMEs (including helpful links to tools and further resources); and
• A 15-point Action Plan.

If you would like a copy of the guide or the 15-point Action Plan, please get in touch.

Congratulations

We send our congratulations to our Daniel White who has passed his level 3 AAT Indirect Tax exam with 83%.

Autumn 2020 Business Support Guide – Updated 4 November

Following the announcement of a national lockdown, there are yet more changes to the Winter Economic Plan, the most important of which is that the furlough scheme is being extended through November and the Job Support Scheme has been delayed until December or further notice.

An important change is that some of our smaller companies who were not eligible to make any furlough claim before, now appear to be able to do so although official confirmation is sadly still awaited.

Below you will find out update guide.

Are you ready for the new customs paperwork?

If your business imports or exports goods either as sales or in your supply chain, there are a number of things you need to do and be aware of with the end of the Brexit transition period ending on 31st December 2020.

Regardless of whether a deal is reached between the UK & EU, import and export customs declarations will be required for the movement of goods as of 1st January 2021.

It is estimated that the number of customs declarations will increase from 50 million to 200 million.

Exporters are urged to speak with their customs broker or import-export agent who acts on their behalf to secure the service they need beyond the 31st December or look at setting up your business to make declarations internally.

Customs declarations for goods you bring or receive into the UK or EU

To help SMEs prepare for Brexit, we have produced some helpful materials including:

• Preparing for Brexit: A Guide for SMEs (including helpful links to tools and further resources); and
• A 15-point Action Plan.

If you would like a copy of the guide or the 15-point Action Plan, please get in touch.