Inventions in the field of chemistry or pharmacy frequently consist in an interaction of various components that leads to unexpected results. These inventions can also relate to new substances or processes, which are, however, frequently variations of known substances or processes. The abstraction of the individual components or variations is of decisive importance in this regard, taking prior knowledge into consideration. This abstraction is a challenge that we will gladly meet for you.

Most non-chemical technical inventions are based on physical processes and insights. From seemingly simple electrical components and construction principles to complicated accelerator structures and power station technology, we use our knowledge of physics to understand your new developments and translate them into the legal language of a technical property right. We will work out even complex physical patent applications for you in a professional manner.

With mechanical constructions, the essence of an invention often lies in the selection and arrangement of functional elements. To obtain maximum protection for a patent application it is crucial to create a description of the construction that comprises all possible solutions without becoming too general. The technical imagination for writing detailed descriptions of embodiments, the ability to recognize possible circumventions and the breadth of vision to incorporate future technological progress are part of our daily work.

The essence of inventions in the field of electrical engineering is frequently the interaction of a multitude of components. Here it is important to provide comprehensive protection by using suitably worded descriptions of processes and devices. To be able to fight against suppliers of subsystems and to keep competitors on the market from circumventing your invention, we will develop a strategy with you to protect your developments fully, making optimal use of the extent of your intellectual property rights.

The special challenge with software patents is to overcome the hurdle of technical applicability of an invention. German and European patent laws differ from US patent laws in that no patents are granted for business models, nor for some kinds of computer-implemented inventions, either.

However, control systems and telecommunications, including many Internet applications, clearly promote technical progress, which results in a gray area with regard to, for example, simulation programs. We have extensive scientific and legal knowledge in this field.

We can also assist you in protecting your graphical user interfaces with supporting design patents.

We will advise you in developing a patent strategy custom-tailored to your company and undertake all legal steps to implement it in practice. For this purpose we will discuss the options and procedures with you and assist you, if required, in analysing the patent portfolios of your competitors. We do patent searches and so-called "freedom-to-operate analyses" with regard to your planned products for you and develop, with your cooperation, solutions to circumventing existing intellectual property rights, if such is necessary and possible. Starting our cooperation at an early stage is an advantage in this regard.

Last not least, we will of course draw up patent and utility model applications for you. We can apply for German, European or international patents and will in all cases take care of all the correspondence with the patent offices.

There are situations where the value of a patent is of importance, when, for example, preparing the balance sheet of a company, in sales or mergers of companies, and also when individual patents or utility models are sold.  

We have the know-how for creating patent evaluations and are happy to be at your disposal.

Als Patentexperten stehen wir Ihnen bei Lizenzverhandlungen und der Ausarbeitung von Lizenzverträgen zur Seite. Durch unsere Erfahrungen mit den typischen Bedingungen und Fallstricken solcher Vereinbarungen erreichen wir für Sie geeignete Ergebnisse - sowohl bei der Vergabe von Lizenzen wie auch als Lizenznehmer. 

It is advantageous to be informed about the activities of competitors, whether they are patent infringements or applications for similar or identical intellectual property rights. In the case of the latter it is helpful to find and analyse the applications of competitors at an early stage in order to adapt your own product strategy to them, but also because you can file an opposition at reasonable costs if you do it quickly after the patent has been granted. 

For your support, we can monitor your intellectual property rights with regard to applications of your competitors at regular intervals. We can also, in cooperation with you, monitor infringements of your patents by third parties.

We take care of the legal enforcement of your intellectual property. We will take the initiative if your legal rights are infringed or you are sued for an alleged infringement: by starting legal action or defending you, in cases of warning letters or infringement cases, with oppositions or nullification actions against patent attacks, or simply by issuing a right to use or warning letter. When things have to happen quickly, we take action for a preliminary injunction.

In cases of product piracy or patent infringements we will organise seizures at the border or at trade fairs and exhibitions, in cooperation with customs and police.

German employee inventions law regulates the legal relations between an employer and an inventor employed by him in Germany. It mainly deals with the right to an invention, that is the right to apply for a patent and to use the invention in the end. Legal regulations in this field determine that the rights to the invention transfer to the employer if the employer was inactive for 4 months after the invention was disclosed to him. On the other hand, the employer is obliged to remunerate the employee inventor after the transfer of rights. We will assist you in establishing business processes that correctly implement the legal requirements. This provides legal security with regard to legal disputes with the employee inventor, especially after a successful product life cycle.

Claiming an employee invention means that the legally required inventor compensation has to be paid to the employee. The calculation of the amount to be paid follows the "Guidelines for compensation for employee inventions in private employment" and is quite complicated. We can also do these calculations for you.

Trademarks need not just be graphical characters or real or artificial words, they can also be slogans, three-dimensional forms, the arrangement of certain features on a product, certain sequences of notes or sounds or other typical characteristics indicating that a product comes from a specific company.

We register trademarks for you, have them certified by courts and agencies and defend them if necessary against protests and cancellation applications and suits.

After registration in the register of trademarks, the brand requires maintenance. This includes action against similar, more recent trademarks to prevent dilution of your brand. On request, we monitor the registration of similar trademarks by third parties for you. We may lodge an opposition against such subsequent trademarks, request their cancellation or sue for cancellation. Where it makes sense we can work out coexistence agreements for you in the course of such action. 

Not least, brand maintenance also includes usage management in order to preserve trademark protection.

We will also assist you in licensing as well as in purchase and sale of trademark rights.

We can deal appropriately with infringements of your trademark rights by means of cease and desist letters, injunctions and infringement suits. In cases of product piracy, we are at your disposal for border seizure or confiscation at trade fairs and exhibitions with the help of customs and police.

Costs concerning the drafting of a patent application and the prosecution proceeding incur stepwise. Therefore you will keep a complete cost control. Our efforts concerning the drafting depend on your preliminary work and your explanations of the invention and the complexity thereof. At the time of filing only in extraordinary cases we are able to evaluate the costs being associated with the prosecution procedure. Therefore, we can only provide you with an estimation of costs being associated with the handling of an Office Action after studying the same.

Costs concerning a trademark application and the following granting proceeding depend inter alia on the extent of the list of goods and services. After forwarding of the necessary information we will provide you a fixed price offer.