Antitrust Law and Intellectual Property Rights
Often, the value of a company also consists of intangible assets such as intellectual property, know-how, registered rights, a customer base, and a strong reputation. Laboriously developed products can be severely impaired or crowded out of the market by lower-quality copies.
The company’s own position in the market can be weakened by competitors taking unfair advantage. Careless management of know-how or trade secrets can cause permanent damage to a company.
We'll help you protect your ideas, brands, designs, copyright, and patents as effectively as possible, advising and representing you in the global acquisition of rights and defense against trademark offices as well as in legal proceedings.
We'll advise and represent you in issues of competition law and disputes. We'll be right by your side when you need to fight competitors’ unfair business practices, or to defend yourself against suspicions of distorting competition, for example by price-fixing.
Our range of consulting services begins long before any dispute arises. We can advise you on any legal matters in developing your advertising and marketing strategy, to keep them safe from competitors’ attacks and to make sure the benefits of a successful strategy don’t go unprotected. If you’re planning to make agreements with competitors, we’ll assist you in complying with antitrust requirements.
Our services at a glance
- Legal advice in developing advertising and marketing strategies
- Assistance with warning letters resulting from unfair competition
- Examining websites and web shops for compliance with competition law
- Advising on Internet law and e-commerce law
- Acquiring and enforcing intellectual property rights (patents, trademarks, designs, copyright)
- Drawing up and reviewing license agreements
- Protecting and defending trade secrets (possibly in conjunction with GBIT, the IT Testing division at Ebner Stolz) for IT security issues
Legal representation - Advising on agreements with competitors that may have antitrust implications (e.g., sales agreements, license agreements, cooperation agreements)
- Advising on and representation in antitrust disputes
- Planning and executing merger control proceedings