Consumer electronics

The field of consumer electronics ranges from white goods to personal devices. Particularly since the early 2000s, the worlds of entertainment, communication and computing devices have seen major convergence. 

Patents for a consumer electronic device, such as a mobile phone, may relate to processing, storage and other technology inside the device, communications technologies used by the device or a user interface of the device, improvement to which may be on the borderline of patentability. HGF’s consumer electronics team are able to advise on patentable features and possess in-depth experience in prosecuting applications for these technologies to grant, even for subject matter on the borderline of patentability. 

Strong intellectual property strategies are key to maintaining a competitive edge. What’s more, strategic advice at the development stage can make all the difference in identifying, and adding value to, truly unique inventions.  

HGF’s large, pan-European consumer electronics team integrates with clients across a broad spectrum of consumer electronics, bringing technological and legal expertise to delivering commercially astute IP strategies. From start-ups, universities and spin-offs, to SMEs and multinational consumer electronics manufacturers, we work closely with our clients to protect inventions and gain market share in this competitive field.

Latest updates

A £2.1M Lesson: The Power of Confidential Information

A recent High Court ruling1 serves as a stark reminder of the importance of respecting confidential business information. Hambro Perks, was found guilty of breaching confidentiality and ordered to pay …

Read article

Can intellectual property and foreign investment save struggling European eVTOL companies?

With the ongoing funding difficulties in the European eVTOL sector, we look at the role that intellectual property is likely to play in the prospects for the survival of Lilium …

Read article

Can the Chancellor’s so-called “Europe’s Silicon Valley” really replicate the innovative activity of its namesake?

The Chancellor of the UK, Rachel Reeves, recently unveiled plans to deliver an Oxford-Cambridge growth corridor that promises to boost the UK economy by up to £78 billion by 2035.  …

Read article

Tea with ASTP: Patenting Clls at the EPO

HGF Partner Matt Cassie will be presenting a webinar on ‘patenting AI to the ASTP (the Association of European Science and Technology Transfer Professionals)’ on 11th February. This talk explores …

Read article

UK IPO Update to AI Patenting Guidelines Highlights Difficulties in Protecting Core AI Inventions

The release by a Chinese company, DeepSeek, of a new open-source reasoning model, has led to falls of hundreds of billions of dollars in US technology stocks including at one …

Read article

Court of Appeal Decision Upholds Invalidity of Patent Due to Amendment Identifying Embodiment as Outside the Scope of the Claims

In a case that highlights the challenges arising due to post-grant amendments, and in particular interpretation of the claims in view of the description, the Court of Appeal in Ensygnia …

Read article

UPC first FRAND judgment results in injunction against OPPO

Panasonic Holdings Corporation v Guangdong OPPO Mobile Telecommunications Corp. Ltd & anor UPC_CFI_210/2023 – Mannheim Local Division (Tochtermann, Böttcher, Brinkman & Loibner) – 22 November 2024. The UPC issued its …

Read article

Innovation protection recovery begins in the Aircraft Engine Sector

With patent filing data for 2022 now available, we follow up our January 2023 article with an IP review update for the major players in the aircraft engine sector. Filing …

Read article

Let's talk

If you would like to discuss how HGF could help you, contact one of our consumer electronics specialists.