Barnes IP Europe

Barnes IP Europe is a specialist intellectual property practice for inventors, brand owners and technology businesses that want their ideas protected in Malta and across the European Union. Its office is at BusinessLabs on Triq Dun Karm in Birkirkara, a central town a short drive from Valletta, and it is listed on VisitMalta.co.uk among our patent attorneys in Malta.

For a UK business that now needs separate protection for the EU market, a firm that works in English from inside the bloc is a practical choice. Its Malta base gives clients a strategic English-language presence in the EU, and it serves clients in every member state as well as internationally.

Who Barnes IP Europe is

The firm was founded in 2016 in the UK and expanded into the EU in 2021, when it established itself as an intellectual property law firm in Malta. Its attorneys and technical experts bring more than 25 years of combined experience in the field, and the team treats intellectual property as what is often a company's most valuable asset.

Its portfolio gives a sense of scale: more than 590 patents, over 450 trade marks and more than 60 registered designs are under management. The stated values are excellence, a global perspective on international IP rules and a focus on what each client actually needs, with an emphasis on long-term relationships rather than one-off filings.

Because Malta is a small jurisdiction with a growing technology and financial services sector, many of the companies that need this kind of advice are start-ups, software developers and cross-border groups, and the firm's technology focus suits them.

Patents and registered designs

Patent work starts before anything is filed. The team gives pre-filing advice, drafts the patent specification, files the application and then supports protection in Malta, at the European Patent Office and before the Unitary Patent Court. For an inventor, that means one adviser can guide an idea from first sketch to enforceable right.

Registered designs protect how a product looks, from its shape to its surface decoration. The firm registers designs in Malta, the UK and the EU, which is useful for a British designer selling on both sides of the Channel. Copyright protection and enforcement strategies are offered alongside, so written, artistic and software works can be covered in the same conversation.

Trade marks and IP disputes

A trade mark protects a name, logo or slogan. Barnes IP Europe offers strategic pre-filing advice, searching and clearance to check a mark is free to use, registration in Malta and the EU, and worldwide portfolio management so renewals and deadlines are not missed. Businesses planning to move operations or open a branch can read more in our guide to relocating to Malta and our overview of how Malta's corporate tax structure works.

When rights are infringed or challenged, the firm represents clients in IP disputes and enforcement in the UK and the EU, including at the EUIPO, the EPO and the UPC. Help covers pre-litigation advice, mediation and settlement negotiations as well as formal proceedings.

Companies that also need accounting, tax or company formation can look at our featured partner CLA Malta for company and tax services, or compare nearby professionals such as A4 Services Limited and 3a Malta in the accountants directory.

Getting in touch

The office in Birkirkara is close to the island's main road network, and Valletta is nearby if you are combining a meeting with a visit to the capital, which you can plan with our Valletta guide. Flights from the UK are covered in our page on flights to Malta.

The firm does not publish fees, so describe what you want protected and where. Use the VisitMalta.co.uk enquiry form on this page and we will pass your message to Barnes IP Europe, who will reply to you directly. If you are weighing a wider move, our Malta tax guide for UK nationals is a helpful companion.