We protect and defend designs.
Design law is about the protection of two- and three-dimensional appearances of a product or parts thereof - in simple terms, the protection of the design of chairs, spare parts or lamps, to name just a few examples. The protection of a design requires an international protection strategy, which includes the registration of designs, for example as a registered design in the EU. Without effective legal protection, the design of a product is built on sand.
“Good artists copy, great artists steal”, said Apple founder Steve Jobs in 1994. This questionable statement shows that the mere registration of designs is by no means enough. Designs must be enforced and defended in court.
We enforce design rights against third parties by taking court action, if necessary. Thanks to our many years of experience in intellectual property law and unfair competition law, we know which legal measures can help against product imitations, if design protection does not help. Thanks to our international network, we can provide worldwide design law advice and coordinate effective legal enforcement or defense strategies.
In addition to strategic, international legal enforcement, we defend companies against unjustified attacks based on designs. And we defend designs against attacks in cancellation proceedings before the German Patent and Trademark Office (DPMA), the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), and nationwide before the courts in Germany.