Working closely with our clients, we develop strategic solutions for rights owners and applicants to provide the best possible protection for your intellectual property. This includes developing interdisciplinary intellectual property strategies (research, expert opinions or freedom-to-operate analyses) and managing global portfolios. We venture into new terrain by developing taylor-made protection strategies for designs, sounds, colours, shapes, packaging and other inventions. We support you in enforcing or cancelling individual property rights and coordinate complex, international cooperation, such as in Research and Development (R &D) or licensing agreements. Our long-standing global network of qualified colleagues enables us to protect trademarks, designs or technical innovations securely in every country and to enforce or defend your rights before the competent courts. BRANDS & TRADEMARKS Brands & Trademarks are investments in your company's reputation. They contribute significantly to the value of a company. We are committed to protecting and safeguarding trademarks for clients as well as ensuring that they can be used world-wide. We provide comprehensive advice on the development of your brand, devise registration strategies and handle global trademark portfolios in a holistic approach: We examine the protectability of your trademark and conduct the application process through the examination procedure until registration in Germany, the European Union and abroad. Further, we defend your registered rights in opposition and cancellation proceedings. After registration, we monitor your trademarks, support you in their commercial exploitation, negotiate trademark delimitation agreements, cooperation agreements or licence agreements. We enforce your trademark rights and defend you against imitators or allegations of infringement. We represent you in German, European and international proceedings, including cooperation with Japanese and Chinese law firms. Counterfeiting and illegal reproductions lead to significant losses in sales for brand manufacturers, jeopardise jobs and can pose safety and health risks, therefore, we offer a holistic brand protection service against product piracy and parallel imports, which includes anti-counterfeit and customs management services. DESIGN Design has long been recognised as a factor in economic success. The aesthetic appearance of a product can be protected as if it is new and unique. We would be happy to advise you on design protection for new products, conduct research and support your design applications in Germany, the European Union or globally. We provide comprehensive advice in exploiting the design through contract drafting, licensing and monitoring for conflicts. In case of a conflict, we pursue design right infringements by devising solutions for a settlement, alternative dispute resolution or litigation. In relation to patents and utility models, we support you in protecting technical innovations and assist in patent applications to ensure a broad scope of protection. We work extensively with patent agents locally and internationally in respect of filing processes, and are adept at developing protection strategies, draft licence agreements and assist you in the commercial exploitation of your patent rights.

As regards copyrights and related rights, we develop protection strategies for our clients and assist them in the commercial exploitation of their works under national and international copyright law. To this end, we draft, negotiate and conclude contracts and licences and represent our clients in copyright disputes. Our clients include agencies, media companies, artists and creatives such as authors, illustrators, photographers, sculptors, agents, translators and producers as well as event and festival organisers. Regardless of whether you aim to publish a book, deliver content to readers in digital format via multimedia or target social media, we support authors, content creators and publishers. Our strategy takes into account to protect ancillary rights such as film rights, merchandising, theatrical and musical exploitation rights. Creators of attractive product designs may also profit from copyright. Court rulings concerning aesthetic designs are frequently inconsistent on what constitutes a "work" within the meaning of copyright law, in particular with regard to "individuality" or the "level of creativity" required. It is often difficult to predict whether a specific aesthetic design actually meets the requirements for copyright protection. In such cases, it may be advisable to register a national design [bitte verlinken] or a European Union design right.

Media law regulates the use, distribution and production of media content such as radio, television, print and online media. It’s scope and delimitations are set by the fundamental rights of freedom of expression, of the press, science and the arts, as defined by individual privacy rights, rights to personal data, one’s own image, voice or name. We help you secure your interests in media law, online and offline, digitally and analogue, domestically and globally. Photography Photography has always been a language of its own, especially the digital age. We advise photographers, agencies and users of images on licensing issues and all other relevant areas. Film We assist and support national and international film projects, by drafting contracts for film productions and advising producers, actors, artists and authors in relation to all related legal issues. This includes all issues relating to rights clearance, the development, structuring, production and exploitation of national and international feature films, documentary films, and advertising, film production contracts, screenplay contracts, film adaptation contracts, participation agreements and issues relating to personality rights. as well as representing clients in and out of court in all matters relating to film law. We support you in the transfer and exploitation of usage rights and advertising rights, while keeping in mind the commercial aspects of an optimised interplay between financing, production and exploitation of all intangible assets.

We enforce your right to fair and accurate reporting in the media, both vis-à-vis press organisations and individuals. In doing so, we draw on our many years of industry experience. Our services include the assessment of press coverage and commentary in all media as well as providing legal support for interviews, background briefings or media enquiries, or reviewing book and press manuscripts for authors and publishers. We provide legal guidance to media companies as well as to individuals and companies adversely affected by the media, drafting warning letters and information notices under media law or advising in settlement negotiations. Additionally, we advise content providers and media companies on and assert claims such as drafting media-specific contracts, media content and representation in counterstatement, correction, injunction and damages proceedings. This includes statements made on social media that can also be illegal. We protect you against infringing posts on social media, help you block fake accounts and restore accounts that have been unlawfully blocked or deleted.

Law against Unfair Competition We are committed to fair competition and support agencies and advertising companies in their communications, regardless of the medium (TV, print or online). When designing advertising campaigns, packaging or PR-materials, various regulations have be observed We recommend to involve us at an early stage when developing your campaign or designing your product label. We review advertising claims, protection against imitations, trade secrets and unfair conduct – both preventively and in the context of disputes. Numerous provisions laid out in the German Law against Unfair Competition (UWG) to protect consumers and competitors from unfair and misleading advertising practices are complemented by specific regulations for claims concerning medicinal products, cosmetics claims, the EU Health Claims Regulation, anti-corruption laws and voluntary industry codes of conduct that contain advertising restrictions, stipulate licensing requirements or set out mandatory information. Antitrust regulations can also limit contracts or advertising claims. We advise and represent our clients in disputes on antitrust restrictions, in particular retail pricing. In the event of a conflict, we strive for economically viable solutions, negotiate a settlement of the dispute or fight uncompromisingly for your interests in court. ADVERTISING Advertisers and Agencies can rely on our support to realise their creative ideas for campaigns. We advise and represent PR agencies, online marketers and media companies in respect of contractual matters and all types of public relations activities and review your advertising campaigns online and offline, including social media and influencer marketing. We help agencies explore the new dimensions of the digital age through content marketing, viral communications, product placement and sponsorship.

We develop legal protection strategies for new products and represent manufacturers in dealings with authorities and public prosecutors in the event of complaints. We offer solution-oriented advice on the development, manufacture and marketing of new products and support you in regulatory, contractual and competition law issues. From assigning your product to the right product group to ensuring that it meets material requirements, legally compliant labelling, accompanying documentation and contract drafting, we provide you with both in-court and out-of-court support in making your product marketable. In order to successfully distribute and advertise a product, it has to comply with regulations governing the approval of ingredients, product benefits, labelling and claims. Risk assessment in the development and introduction of cosmetic products and foodstuffs requires in-depth knowledge of the relevant special regulations. Advertising measures must also comply with pharmaceutical law, the Medicinal Products Advertising law, as well as competition and trademark law requirements. Packaging design, labelling and advertising campaigns have to comply with the relevant special regulations. In food and cosmetics law, we advise on product development and review health claims. We review and optimise packaging labels and support marketing. We support our clients in crises involving product safety defects. We assist with risk assessment, coordinate communication with authorities, support remedial measures and represent our clients in administrative offence and criminal proceedings. We also support you in enforcing/defending product liability and competition law claims.

We help you to ensure that processes relevant to data protection are compliant with the EU General Data Protection Regulation and related laws.

Artificial intelligence and large language models (LLMs) have gained importance in recent years. They are increasingly changing the legal landscape and affecting more and more areas of life and the economy. This raises new legal questions regarding the protection of AI-generated works, questions of copyright attribution and liability issues in connection with the use of AI-generated content. We support you in the legal classification of current issues and in the legally compliant application of AI in your company.

We help you to commercially exploit your intellectual property, with research and development, collaborations and transactions. Companies, artists, authors, designers, publishers and agencies benefit from our industry expertise. We draft contracts that you understand. In addition, we actively support you in building your rights portfolio, designing national and international distribution structures and drafting tailor-made contracts.

Disputes in intellectual property law are highly complex and can have a significant impact on the companies involved. For decades, our clients have entrusted us with the judicial enforcement of their rights in infringement proceedings or cancellation proceedings. We are often called in at an early stage to investigate infringements or secure evidence. In disputes, we represent you both in negotiations between the parties and or in court. Your best interest determines whether we aim at reaching an agreement or to fiercely assert your interests. We represent our clients before all German local and regional courts, all higher regional courts in the Federal Republic of Germany, the German Patent and Trademark Office (DPMA), the Federal Patent Court (BPatG), the European Patent Office (EPO), the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) and the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO).

Projects/ Virtual Legal Department/ Interim In-House Do you require specialised legal advice for a project, support for your IP department or an outsourced in-house function? We can support you in your day-to-day business, including on site. We provide in-house seminars, design and implementation of internal training for your teams. Please feel free to contact us.