Livewire Digital

Based in Leatherhead, England, Livewire Digital Ltd designs Software Defined Networking (SDN) solutions. These solutions provide reliable optimised communications links that operate over cellular, terrestrial and satellite services. Combining networking knowledge with expertise in broadcast video, electronics and mechanical engineering, Livewire Digital offer leading edge products and bespoke systems to a broad range of markets and organisations.
Livewire Digital makes network communications more efficient and more reliable, enabling bonding, optimisation and prioritising of available services and network traffic.

The company owns several trademarks and actively reviews patent eligible inventions on a regular basis.

Livewire Digital’s recommendation for the IP audit came from Mireille Owen-Hughes (EEN – Oxford Innovation Services). The key reasons for undertaking the IP Audit was for the company to better understand the processes and areas where protecting our IP could be applied to their new company roadmap, specifically, the RazorLink Smart Networking technology.
Following the recommendations made by the audit report, the awareness of the company’s IP assets was increased as well as the need to protect those assets with trademarks and patents.

Also increased was the awareness of implications in relation to the legal aspects associated with employment and contract staff which the company found useful.

Livewire Digital has made numerous changes since the audit including their assessment of target markets for products and services internationally as well as the extension of their trademark protection. They have also successfully fought off a challenge to one of their registered trade marks in Portugal.

Sonja Wood, Livewire Digital’s Marketing Manager told us how the IPO funded audit has been beneficial to the business:

“We are more aware of the existing IP assets in the company and how to best protect those being developed as part of our future R&D roadmap. Likewise, it has highlighted the implications of managing IP and the relation to company value”.

Using the helpful follow up advice from their coach, Livewire Digital now plan to update their company legals and managing patentable inventions associated with the RazorLink Smart Networking R&D.

With regards to the cost projections of moving forward with the IP audit recommendations, Sonja explained:

“Costing was provided as part of the report, and is instrumental to budgeting. A key issue to an SME is understanding the balance between cost and the level of IPR protection. The report and advice has helped us understand the process for drafting a patent application for a specific region, making the application and then the wider more open-ended costs associated with including additional territories.”