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Intellectual Property

Patents and Utility Models

Technical IP rights are our speciality. Preu Bohlig is present at all important German patent litigation venues and has been involved in countless landmark cases for decades. We cooperate closely with specialised patent attorneys or in-house patent departments. We have developed an exceptional technical expertise, in particular in the automotive, pharmaceutical, biotechnology, machine engineering, electrical engineering, software and solar energy sectors.

We coordinate cross-border litigation with partnering law firms worldwide.

Our services include the drafting and negotiation of R&D agreements, licensing agreements and the assessment of IP rights in the context of due diligences and corporate transactions.

Trademarks and other commercial designations

Trademarks, company names and work titles render our clients’ goods and services distinctive. We know exactly how commercial designations can be made more valuable. We develop strategies on the selection of commercial designations and advise on the build-up and implementation of their protection. We represent our clients at the German Patent and Trademark Office (DPMA), the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).

We coordinate and advise in relation to the pursuit of trademark infringements. We represent our clients in product piracy cases and in border seizure measures. The enforcement of IP rights in preliminary injunction proceedings at court, in particular in trade fair cases, is our bread and butter.

In addition to extensive litigation experience, we have significant expertise in handling corporate transactions. This gives our clients an indispensable advantage in due diligence and provides them our clients with a crucial plus of legal certainty.

Design Protection

“Ugliness does not sell” (Raymond Loewy)

A product’s design is an important selling point and a crucial factor for market success. However, investing in design development often pays off only if effective legal protection can be achieved and enforced. For the most part, registered designs form the basis of effective design protection. We advise and represent clients in relation to the registration process and the enforcement of their design rights. We enforce our clients’ designs in preliminary injunction proceedings and in border seizure measures expeditiously. This way, we are able to prevent our clients’ competitors from entering the market.

Copyright

Authors of literary, scientific and artistic works as well as other creative persons enjoy legal protection. We ensure that legal protection will be afforded. In the digital age, photos, texts, videos or music require special protection since there is an increased danger of extensive copyright infringement. We help our clients in protecting their works and enforcing their rights in order to preserve their works’ economic value and the incentive to be creative.

Trade Secret Protection

For detail innovation with a long term application perspective, secrecy is often more valuable than patenting. This applies also if neither patents nor other IP rights are available, for example, in the area of non-technical trade secrets. We advise and represent companies and individuals in relation to the enforcement of trade secrets and the criminal prosecution of infringements. We are aware of the practical difficulties and benefit from our wealth of experience in cooperating with criminal prosecutors and working at the criminal justice department. In order to prevent infringements of trade secrets at the outset, we also advise on the implementation of protective measures and develop comprehensive concepts to achieve protection in line with the increased requirements of the Trade Secret Protection Act (GeschGehG).

Employee Inventions

Behind every invention is an inventor. In most of the cases, the inventor is an employee. Employee Invention Law is a complex matter. It is a hybrid of patent and employment law. In addition to the vital patent law experience, we have extensive employment law expertise. We aware of the practical difficulties of blanket remuneration schemes. We advise and represent employers and employees in relation to remuneration disputes and claiming ownership of inventions and patents. We represent clients before the employee invention arbitration board and the ordinary courts. Employee inventions are the engine of innovation. We ensure that it runs smoothly.

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