IP/IT Law

Our experts in the IP/IT Law practice group advise in the areas of unfair competition, data protection, e-commerce, trademarks, software licensing, contract drafting, and distribution systems. Special emphasis is placed on advising and representing clients dealing with complex issues where these areas of law intersect with Competition and Antitrust Law.

Our IP/IT Law practice group offers a wealth of practical experience and creative solutions. We are particularly adept in the areas of unfair competition, data protection, e-commerce, trademarks, software licensing, contract drafting, and distribution systems.

Our expertise in these areas is utilized in due diligence in the run-up to corporate acquisitions, contract drafting and review, enforcement, defense and litigation, and compliance advice and training.

Advising on data protection issues is our daily business. We represent clients in numerous proceedings before the data protection authorities, and support companies in implementing processes that comply with data protection law.

The head of the IP/IT Law practice group, Andreas Zellhofer, is also a partner in the Competition and Antitrust Law practice group. The practice group thus combines excellent know-how from both areas of law. The team advises and represents clients in complex cases at the interface between IP/IT and competition law (as in abuse of dominance cases).

OUR FIELDS OF EXPERTISE

Intellectual property

  • Copyrights, trademarks, designs, and patents
  • IP due diligence
  • Management of IP rights (monitoring and administration)
  • Product piracy
  • License agreements
  • Protecting “Know-how”
  • Media law
  • Personality protection (damage to credit and defamation of character)

 

Information Technology

  • Data protection
  • Cloud computing
  • Outsourcing and service level agreements
  • Whistleblowing systems, hotlines, and ombudsmen
  • E-commerce (online shops, use of cookies, legal notices, “about” or “Impressum” sections on websites, and newsletters)
  • Domain law
  • Software license agreements
  • License audits and software asset management

 

Competition Law:

  • Unfair competition (Federal Act Against Unfair Competition, “UWG”)
  • Distribution systems (independent dealer, commercial agent, and franchise agreements)
  • Contract drafting (contract forms, general terms and conditions, B2B and B2C)
  • Consumer protection
  • Advertising, online marketing, and targeting (particularly in the area of social media)
  • Confidentiality and Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs)

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