Intellectual property and know-how represent large corporate values that need to be adequately protected. Whether it’s trademarks, designs, patents or copyright works, we protect your ideas and interests – internationally and worldwide, competently and comprehensively from the very beginning. We accompany you in the design, negotiation and transfer of such rights and assist you if you have to defend yourself against infringers. The instrument of copyright law and competitive ancillary copyright is often underestimated, meanwhile it can provide protection for intellectual property where other protective instruments fail. Just ask us!
Intellectual property rights also protect against anti-competitive behavior. We can help you to make your promotions compliant with the law and, if necessary, take action against unfair commercial practices by third parties. The protection of business and trade secrets and their international enforcement are just as much part of competition law as a legally compliant website or forms of multi-channel marketing.
- Establishing an intellectual property portfolio: support in the conception and selection of the intellectual property right; development of trademark strategies and recommendation on territorial extension; advice on design registration for products that are primarily characterized by their aesthetic aspects
- Conducting trademark and design searches and evaluating the results with recommendations for action
- Registration of trademarks: examination of registrability; preparation of customized lists of goods/services; trademark applications in Germany, European Union trademarks (EU), international trademarks (IR), national applications and international coordination via our worldwide network
- Optimisation of existing trademark rights: check on possible cost savings
- Management of trademark and design rights: maintenance (renewal), transfers, changes of name
- Defense of trademark rights: monitoring collisions with IP rights of third parties, performing opposition/cancellation proceedings
- Product piracy; trademark infringements; warnings; IP litigation; efficient legal representation in the enforcement of the claims; international coordination via our worldwide network; customs seizure
- Registration of designs: examination of registrability; grouping according to Locarno classification; filing of designs in Germany, EU designs, international registrations under the Hague Agreement and national applications
- Management of patent rights: maintenance, transfer, changes of name
- Drafting contracts: license agreements, coexistence agreements
- Assistance in IP transactions: Examination of the assets of intellectual property rights including validity and enforceability
As a pharmaceutical-related competition law, the Drug Advertising Law is strongly influenced by jurisdiction. Assessments of admissibility require a precise knowledge of European and national laws as well as tendency in case law. We support you in the design of your marketing measures and the enforcement of your claims.
- Design of marketing campaigns on the Internet and in the print sector based on current jurisdiction and laws
- Operation and design of various advertising channels including design of third-party compliance
- Monitoring and preventing inadmissible competitive behavior by competitors
- Representation of claims against opponents both in and out of court
Die Ahndung unlauterer Geschäftspraktiken und die Auseinandersetzung mit Mitbewerbern stehen beim Wettbwerbsrecht im Vordergrund. Der Schutz geistigen Eigentums durch ein eigenes Leistungsschutzrecht sowie der Schutz von Geschäftsgeheimnissen gehört ebenfalls zum Beratungsportfolio der Wettbewerbsrechtler.
Spezialgesetzliche Anwendungsbereiche wie die Werbung für Arzneimittel und Medizinprodukte finden sich im Heilmittelwerberecht. Die Gestaltung und rechtliche Konzeptionierung von Marketingkampagnen im Arznei- und Medizinproduktebereich bedürfen vor allem eine umfassende Kenntnis der aktuellen Rechtsprechung.
Selbst auferlegte Wettbewerbsbestimmungen der Pharmaindustrie wie der FSA-Kodex oder der AKG-Kodex regeln verbindliche Verhaltensvorschriften, die auch gerichtlich durchzusetzen sind.
MKM + PARTNER hat mit seinem Beratungsschwerpunkt im gewerblichen Rechtsschutz und einem Fokus auf den Pharma- und Healthcarebereich langjährige Übung in der Beratung dieser Themen.