Privacy Statement

This Privacy Statement explains how Instigate IP^® collects, uses, shares and protects personal data when you visit www.instigateip.co.uk, contact us, or instruct us. We are committed to processing personal data lawfully, fairly and transparently in accordance with the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Who we are (data controller)

Instigate IP^® is a trading name of Instigate IP Limited, a company registered in England and Wales (company number 14808843), which is the data controller for the personal data described in this statement.

Registered office: Brunel House, 2 Fitzalan Road, Cardiff CF24 0EB, Wales, United Kingdom.
Email: [email protected] · Telephone: 0208 087 1619.

Instigate IP Limited is registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) as a data controller under registration reference ZC187631.

2. The personal data we collect

Depending on how you interact with us, we may collect:

• Enquiry details: when you use our contact form, your name, email address, and (optionally) your telephone number, preferred office and the content of your message.
• Contact-widget details: if you use our contact widget (boei), the details you choose to enter and the content of your message.
• Technical data: your IP address and browser user-agent, which are recorded with form and chat submissions to help keep our services secure and prevent abuse.
• Analytics data: only if you consent, information about how you use the site, collected via Google Analytics (see our Cookie Policy).
• Client data: if you instruct us, the information needed to provide our intellectual-property services and to meet our professional and legal obligations.

3. Why we use it and our legal bases

We process personal data on the following bases under Article 6 UK GDPR:

• Responding to your enquiry: our legitimate interests in answering you and, where relevant, taking steps at your request before entering into a contract.
• Providing our services and keeping records: performance of our contract with you and compliance with our legal, regulatory and tax obligations.
• Analytics and contact widget: your consent, which you can withdraw at any time via the Cookie settings link in the footer.
• Security and prevention of abuse: our legitimate interests in protecting our website, our visitors and our business.

4. Who we share it with

We do not sell your personal data. We share it only as necessary with:

• Maileroo: our email-delivery provider (hosted in the EU), used to send and receive enquiry notifications and confirmations.
• boei: our contact-widget provider (hosted in the EU). Its optional AI features may use sub-processors, including OpenAI, Anthropic or Google, under the EU-US Data Privacy Framework and/or Standard Contractual Clauses.
• Google: Google Analytics, only if you consent.
• Cloudflare: our content-delivery, security and anti-spam (Turnstile) provider.
• Registered Patent Attorneys: where you instruct us on patent matters and we work with them on your behalf.
• Others where required: professional advisers, and authorities or third parties where required by law, regulation or court order, or in connection with a sale or reorganisation of our business.

5. International transfers

Our main providers store data within the United Kingdom or the European Economic Area (EEA); transfers from the UK to the EEA are covered by UK adequacy regulations. Where a provider or its sub-processors transfer data outside the UK/EEA (for example, certain AI sub-processors used by our contact widget), the transfer is protected by appropriate safeguards such as the UK extension to the EU-US Data Privacy Framework and/or Standard Contractual Clauses.

6. How long we keep it

We keep enquiry data (including form and chat submissions) for up to 24 months from your last contact with us, unless your enquiry becomes a client matter. Client records are retained for as long as necessary to provide our services and to meet our professional, regulatory, tax and legal obligations, typically for at least six years after a matter ends. Backups are deleted in line with the same schedule.

7. Your rights

Under UK GDPR you have the right to:

• access a copy of the personal data we hold about you;
• have inaccurate data corrected, or incomplete data completed;
• have your data erased in certain circumstances;
• restrict or object to our processing in certain circumstances;
• data portability in certain circumstances; and
• withdraw consent at any time, where we rely on consent.

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at [email protected]. You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF (ico.org.uk). If you are in the EEA, you may also complain to your local supervisory authority.

8. Cookies

We use cookies and similar technologies as described in our Cookie Policy. Analytics and contact-widget technologies are used only with your consent.

9. Children

Our website and services are not directed at children, and we do not knowingly collect personal data from anyone under 18. If you believe a child has provided us with personal data, please contact us so we can delete it.

10. International visitors

We welcome national and international clients. If you access this website from the European Economic Area, the EU GDPR also applies to the processing of your personal data.

11. Changes and contact

We may update this statement from time to time; the “last updated” date above shows when it last changed. For any privacy or data-protection query, contact us at [email protected].