The textiles industry has been established in the UK since the industrial revolution. Today, the sector has a production value of over £9.1 billion and worldwide demand for textiles is forecast to increase, fuelled by a rising population, the demands of the fashion industry as well as rapid growth in other industries which require technical textiles.
The demand for technical textiles for application in protective clothing, sportswear, medical devices and vehicles offers a significant opportunity for manufacturers. New fibres and fabrics which are more sustainable or offer new or improved properties can be used to increase functionality or solve problems in a wide range of products. Intellectual property protection for new textile innovations should therefore be considered to prevent imitation and protect future revenue streams.
Members of our teams have significant experience in the textiles and filtration sectors. Mark Goodwin, in particular, has over 20 years of experience of working with textile and filtration technology. Our clients include brand leaders in filtration and wound dressings, and leading developers in textile technology.
We have advised on patent protection relating to weaving, knitting, felts, spiral fabrics, fibres, foams, bandages and wound dressings. We have considerable experience in the area of papermaking fabrics, including forming fabrics, press felts and dryer fabrics. We also regularly patent technology in the filtration area with experience of products such as compact filter elements, filter bags, and ceramic filter elements, as well as other technical fabrics including acoustic and thermal insulation products and exhaust catalyst brick support mats.
Our experience provides us with an insight into how the sector operates and key issues that the businesses in this sector face, such as the ownership of intellectual property where development work is conducted in partnership with others, licensing of technology and how to obtain commercially useful geographical protection whilst controlling costs.
For more information about how we can help you, please get in touch to speak to a member of our textiles & filtration team.