If you manage directory submissions for an IP team, your year most likely has a particular rhythm. The WTR 1000 in the spring. The IAM Patent 1000 in late summer. And from October, there’s now a third you might want to consider.
IAM and World Trademark Review published the first Copyright 1000 in September. It covers copyright alone, in more than 75 jurisdictions, and lists almost 1,500 practitioners. Research for the second edition opens in October 2026. The submission deadline is expected to be some time in November, although exact dates are yet to be officially confirmed.
A familiar process with a different focus
The Copyright 1000 uses the same research model as the trade mark and patent guides you’re probably already familiar with. Firms provide a written submission and client referees, and put their leading lawyers forward for interview.
What the researchers are looking for will be familiar too: your clients, your matters, the sectors you work in, what sets you apart, and your leading individuals and future leaders.
The copyright work is already in your matters
The first edition’s research found that clients increasingly want trade mark, copyright and design advice from one team. In reality, many specialist brand protection practices already work this way. They just don’t always describe themselves as this.
Copyright often hides inside trade mark matters: a packaging dispute, an advertising campaign, a software licence, a takedown programme for online content, an opposition that includes copyright in the grounds. When we read IP submissions, we often find this work written up as brand protection, with the copyright angle mentioned in passing or not at all.
But this new ranking gives you the opportunity to present this as an integral part of your practice and a true area of expertise.
How do the rankings work?
Like the other “1000” rankings, firms are ranked Gold, Silver or Bronze. Where commentary was thinner, firms appear as Highly recommended or Recommended instead.
In the first year, many firms are noticing that they have been ranked without providing a dedicated copyright submission. In this second year, however, we may see greater emphasis being put on providing a clear submission and engaged referees.
The publishers are clear: taking part improves your chances of being positioned accurately, getting more of your lawyers listed and receiving a fuller write-up.
What to do before November
- Check the results, and see whether you’re banded or grouped.
- If you don’t have a personalised submission link, ask the research editor for one now.
- Go back through your last IP submission and pull out every matter with copyright content.
- Rethink your referees. The clients who can speak to your copyright work may not be the ones who instruct you on trade marks or other IP disciplines. In-house media, content and creative counsel are worth a look.
- Brief your lawyers early. Interviews and the deadline will come round quickly.
How we can help
We work on IP submissions with our associate partner, Ian Wall of Wall Legal Marketing. Ian previously practised as a UK Chartered Trade Mark Attorney for more than a decade, from Europe to Latin America, before moving into directories work in 2020. He knows what a strong IP matter looks like from the inside, and how to get that across to a researcher.
Chambers and Legal 500 are only part of what we do at ELE. We work across the full range of directory submissions, specialist rankings and awards, and we help firms get more from the effort by reusing submission content in pitches, website profiles, lawyer biographies and thought leadership.
Together with Ian, we can take a copyright submission from matter selection to upload and beyond. If November is looking tight, talk to us now rather than the week before the deadline.
