European Practice - Intellectual Property Capabilities in Europe
The European Offices of Crowell & Moring provide the full array of intellectual property legal services to assist companies in exploiting, maintaining and enforcing its intellectual property rights.
We have extensive experience in conducting national and cross-border trademark, design and copyright litigation on a wide range of disputes including highly complex scientific and engineering cases. We co-ordinate international disputes, often on a pan-European basis. We work with leading (European, Benelux and national) trade mark agents for filing, prosecution and other registration matters. Key services of the European Offices include:
- Trademark, copyright and design right litigation
- Unfair competition and advertising litigation (misleading and comparative advertising, price discounts, sales below costs; quantative promotions, premiums, tied-in-sales, vouchers, lotteries, sweepstakes, etc.)
- Trademark, copyright and design protection advice
- Commercial advice including drafting commercial agreements
- Application of trademark and unfair competition law to the Internet and mobile communication data, including use of a mark or trade name as a domain name, linking, metatags, etc.
The European Offices can also provide a full range of legal services relating to the protection, exploitation and litigation of patents and know-how. In particular, we have extensive experience of planning and running patent disputes in Europe. Key services include:
- Advice on patentability and patent filing strategies
- Advice on litigation strategies including cross-border injunctions
- National and multi-national patent litigation including revocation actions and actions for declarations of non-infringement
- Interlocutory injunctions and ex parte proceedings for evidence-gathering
- Drafting commercial agreements including development, joint venture, manufacturing, distribution and licensing agreements
- Drafting confidentiality clauses and non-disclosure agreements
The European Offices further have considerable expertise in combating counterfeiting and piracy. We can file criminal complaints with the appropriate judicial authorities, requests for suspensive measures with Customs and take all necessary steps for the tracing, seizing, storing, transport and destruction of counterfeit goods. Our expertise and privileged contacts further enable us to provide high quality and practical counselling and lobbying on the European regulatory initiatives with respect to the fight against counterfeiting and piracy.
The IP practice of the Brussels office is recognized as a leading practice. A recent selection of nominations include: European Legal 500, PLC Which lawyer? Yearbook 2007 (former Global 3000), The International Who's Who of Patent Lawyers 2005 and the 2005 Expert Guide to the World's Leading Patent Law Experts.
For more information, please visit our Intellectual Property Practice, or contact Kristof Roox or Flip Petillion.