Licences and contracts
Technical intellectual property rights and trademarks often play a decisive role in collaboration between companies and institutions, the commercialisation of inventions, and the purchase or sale of companies.
Our services
- Drafting purchase and licence agreements relating to patents, utility models, trade marks, designs and know-how.
- Reviewing and evaluating intellectual property rights in connection with purchases or sales, and conducting due diligence.
- Preparing and executing IP transactions, including registration in official registers worldwide.
- Preparing confidentiality agreements.
- Drafting demarcation and priority agreements.
- Reviewing existing contracts.
- Conducting negotiations between the contracting parties, facilitation and mediation.
- Advising on the treatment of inventions within the framework of development and cooperation agreements (joint ventures).
Other services
FAQ
A patent can be an important tool for protecting innovations and securing competitive advantages. It enables the owner to prevent others from using the invention or to grant licences. Apart from this, however, a patent can also be used, for example, in advertising or when dealing with investors as evidence of a company’s innovative capacity.
Whether a patent is economically viable therefore depends on many factors, such as market potential, the competitive landscape and internationalisation strategy.
The patent attorneys at our firm would be happy to advise you on this matter.
Confidentiality is crucial prior to filing a patent application, as public disclosure can jeopardise patentability.
The following measures are advisable:
- No publication or presentation without prior filing
- Use of non-disclosure agreements (NDAs)
- Documentation of the development
- Filing a patent application as early as possible
Seeking advice at an early stage helps to avoid typical mistakes and choose the right time to file the application.
In addition to the registration costs, further expenses will be incurred over the years:
- Examination fees
- Annual renewal fees
- Costs for international extensions
- Potential opposition or litigation proceedings
- Translation and legal representation costs
Over the entire term, the costs can amount to tens of thousands of euros, depending on the protection strategy.