3PB Intellectual Property barrister Faizul Azman provides an insightful article which aims to provide both employers and employees with a general understanding of intellectual property rights in a copyright work created in the course of employment.
Clerk Details
- Clerk Name: David Fielder
- Clerk Telephone: 020 7583 8055
- Clerk Email: [email protected]
Overview
Faizul Azman is an experienced barrister specialising in intellectual property law. Based at 3PB’s London office, Faizul brings a unique skillset to his legal practice, shaped by his unconventional background that includes serving in the British Army and UK Civil Service.
Legal 500 describes Faizul as “… an extremely robust individual with a mind for clear and concise advice. He has a particular eye for niche details, thinks outside the box, and is extremely commercially minded” (Legal 500 2025/Intellectual Property/Rising Star/London Bar).
Before coming to the Bar, Faizul held senior roles in government departments, including the Home Office and the UK Intellectual Property Office (UKIPO). At the Home Office, he led on contentious immigration and asylum policy, including appeals before the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court, and later served as Assistant Director for Northern Ireland and EU Exit Strategy. At the UKIPO, he represented the UK at World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) in Geneva, negotiated legal texts in Brussels, and assisted with the implementation of the Marrakesh Treaty into UK and EU law. His responsibilities also saw him shape copyright exceptions policy and advising ministers.
Faizul brings a distinctive combination of legal and policy expertise to his practice. His experience in managing complex and high-profile matters at the intersection of law, politics, and international regulation enables him to offer clients strategic insight that goes beyond legal analysis, including reputation risk and commercial/strategic positioning.
Expertise
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Intellectual property Add this expertise to your shortlist Faizul specialises in all areas of intellectual property law including copyright, trade marks, design rights, confidential information, and related areas such as contract, employment, education, commercial law, and artificial intelligence. Before joining Chambers, Faizul was a Senior Policy Advisor at the UK Intellectual Property Office, representing the UK at WIPO and in EU legal negotiations in Brussels.
Faizul is known for his clear, practical advice and close client collaboration. His background in handling complex, high-stakes legal and policy matters enable him to deliver strategic insight beyond the law – identifying both commercial opportunities and reputational risks. Faizul is regularly instructed by a wide range of clients, from global brands to innovative SMEs.
Examples of recent IP cases include:
Norwich City Football Club Plc v Spirits Wholesale Ltd (IPEC) – For Norwich City Football Club in a trade mark and passing off dispute relating to ‘Norwich City Lemon Gin’ and the club’s ‘get-up’.
Re: Sky Limited (IPEC) – For Sky. Several copyright infringement claims relating to illicit internet protocol television streaming services.
Enterprise Holdings v EUIPO (T/499/23 and T/500/23) (General Court of the CJEU) – For Enterprise in drafting an appeal to annul the decisions of the Boards of Appeal of the EUIPO re ‘QOMMUTE’.
Enterprise Holdings v Free2move SAS (R 2311/2023-4) (EUIPO Boards of Appeal) – For Enterprise in drafting an appeal re registered and non-registered ‘e’ marks.
NRJ Group Société Anonyme de Droit Français v Hard Carry Gaming, Inc (Appointed Person) – For NRJ, led by Victoria Jones in an appeal re ‘NRG’.
Britvic Soft Drinks Limited v Blue Ice Machines Limited (IPEC) – For Britvic, at CMC re ‘ICE BLAST’ connected to ‘Tango Ice Blast’.
Netflix Studios v JJ Beanos (UKIPO) – For the Applicant. A trade mark Opposition re ‘LADY WHISTLEDOWN’ connected to the ‘Bridgerton’ Netflix series.
Gowers v Athena Cosmetics, Inc (UKIPO) – For Athena (RevitaLash Cosmetics). A trade mark Revocation re ‘KILLER LASHES’ and ‘KILLER BROWS’.
SDT Drive Technology v Lister Shearing Equipment Limited (KBD) – For SDT. A contractual dispute relating to supply contracts and modifications to designs.
PS v C (IPEC) – For the Claimant. A dispute relating to domain squatting.
Mirza Video Entertainment Limited v Karman Entertainment Limited – For Mirza. Successfully transferred the claim from the Intellectual Property List to the IPEC.
Advisory work includes:
- Costs recovery following a successful judgment before the General Court of the CJEU.
- Challenging UKIPO preliminary views refusing to exclude evidence at a trade mark hearing.
- Handling trade mark infringement claims involving Google Ads and the use of protected terms as ‘keywords’.
- Protection of goodwill following company dissolution or liquidation.
- Resolving disputes over copyright ownership involving directors, employees, contractors, and university students.
- Restoring a dissolved company to recover beneficial interests in domain names and proprietary development code.
- Addressing copyright infringement claims arising from unauthorised use of hyperlinks.
- The rights of film directors where works are assigned under settlement agreements.
- Infringement claims relating to content published or shared on social media.
- Claims involving copied or ‘lookalike’ websites and online passing off.
- Addressing jurisdictional and evidential issues in cross-border copyright assignments.
- Resolving disputes over the scope, revocation and termination of copyright licences.
- Disputes on breaches of contractual obligations following the sale of database rights.
- Disputes concerning UK and Community unregistered design rights in the fashion industry.
- Ownership of designs created during employment or under consultancy agreements.
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Direct Access Add this expertise to your shortlist Faizul Azman is qualified to accept instructions directly from members of the public and professional clients under the Direct Access scheme.
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Articles -
Intellectual Property considerations and employment law
1st Mar 2023View Article -
The interpretation of Regulation 13(1) AWR 2010: the rights of agency workers to apply for job opportunities
11th Jan 2021View ArticleFaizul Azman reviews Angard Staffing Solutions Limited and anor v Kocur and anor on the interpretation of regulation 13(1) of the Agency Workers Regulations 2010 – the right to be informed of a relevant vacant post with the hirer, and to give that agency worker the same opportunity as a comparable worker to find permanent employment with the hirer.
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Gassa & Anor, R (on the application of) v Richmond Independent Appeals Service & Anor [2020] EWHC 957 (Admin) (22 April 2020)
12th May 2020View ArticleFaizul Azman summarises R (Gassa and another) v Richmond Independent Appeals Service and another: a new authority on school admissions which contains some interesting obiter observations on the effect of remittal to a new panel following a successful judicial review.
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Injunction to prevent a breach of mutual trust and confidence
1st May 2020View ArticleSMO v Hywel Dda University Health Board [2020] EWHC 727 (QB)
The Court found in favour of the claimant, a consultant surgeon, to restrain the defendant from continuing a working relationships investigation into his alleged conduct, competence or behaviour, whilst carrying out disciplinary proceedings in parallel.
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Recommendations Faizul Azman - 3PB 'Faizul is an extremely robust individual with a mind for clear and concise advice. He has a particular eye for niche details, thinks outside the box, and is extremely commercially minded.
Legal 500 2025/Intellectual property/Rising stars/London Bar
“Faizul’s advice was clear, on-point and focussed on what our client needed to do and he gave our client clear options as to the next steps our client could take. The advice Faizul gave was indeed relevant to the client’s own situation and what he wanted to achieve. We would be pleased to instruct Faizul in the future in relation to any internet domain/IP matter…” Solicitor
“Faizul did a great job” Solicitor
“Notwithstanding the result, my clients were very impressed with Mr Azman” Solicitor
“… As soon as we spoke, I realised I was in exactly the right hands. You did a great job putting me at ease even with the tech issues I was having. You must have been told before that you have a great bedside manner. Thank you so much for getting me over the final hurdle with such a great result… If the opportunity to recommend you ever comes my way I most definitely will” Lay Client
“… my experience of instructing Faizul has been very positive, and I did seek to instruct him again, though he was unavailable on this occasion… I look forward to instructing him again” Solicitor
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3PB’s intellectual property barristers Victoria Jones, Nicole Bollard, Faizul Azman and Mark Wilden are set to present CITMA’s upcoming lecture “From cross examination to appeals: A comprehensive guide to IP success”. The lecture will offer legal insights and strategies to aid practitioners in effectively navigating descriptiveness challenges, conducting precise cross-examinations, and building compelling grounds for appeal. The lecture will be presented in Birmingham on Wednesday 5 March, Bristol on Wednesday 2 April and London on Thursday 5 June. The lectures are...
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3PB is delighted to share that its Commercial group has earned 4 new rankings in this year's Legal 500 edition, achieving a total of 16 rankings for 11 of our barristers across the areas of Commercial Litigation, Company and Insolvency, Intellectual Property and Professional Negligence in London, South Eastern and Western. With 3 of its barristers ranked for Professional Negligence in Western (+2 compared with 2024), the team now has a Tier 2 ranking and...
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Three of 3PB's team of intellectual property barristers, including team group head Victoria Jones, will be sharing practical tips on pleadings at the UKIPO and discussing recent case law at CITMA's first Midlands lecture of the year, held at 3PB’s offices in Birmingham on 27 February. Registration is at 5pm with the talks lasting an hour from 530pm until 630pm, and will be followed by a free drinks reception. The lectures will be see Victoria...
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