INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

Though not particularly common in Greece, even to the point of neglect, industrial designs are a reliable option for protecting the two- or three-dimensional form of a product and its distinctive characteristics. Especially in view of the widespread importation of imitations into Greece, industrial design rights can provide effective protection in many business sectors.

With many years of experience in registering and managing these rights at national, European and international level, our firm engages in:

• Clearance searches on local and regional levels
• Registration of registered designs, filing and defending opposition, invalidity and revocation proceedings
• Enforcement litigation
• advising on all forms of transactions affecting designs
• Advising on ownership and exploitation of designs

A company’s ability to obtain patents ensures a return on its research investment. In our view, an important factor for the normal use and exploitation of a patent is not simply its proper registration, but also its consistent upholding by the courts. In this regard, our firm is active from the stage of filing a patent through to the successful judicial enforcement of the right deriving from it.

The services we provide include:

• Applying for national and European patents
• Validations of European Patents
• Drafting license agreements
• Annuities payments
• Advising on contracts to transfer technology
• Support in respect of biotechnological inventions and certificates of plant creations
• Conducting patent litigation
• Opinions on patent validity and infringement

The advent of domain names has created a rapidly expanding area of law with enormous importance in terms of how businesses approach consumers. The interplay between domain names and trademarks frequently gives rise to conflicts on account of the different legal frameworks governing each of these rights. So, in this field too, our firm constantly keeps abreast of international developments so that we can provide the best possible advice to clients.

In particular, we engage in:

• Registration and management of domain names
• Representation of domain name owners before the national supervising authority (EETT) and local courts
• Drafting concession documents
• Dealing with cybersquatters

The ultimate goal of any financially motivated enterprise is to attract the consumer. To achieve this, unfair practices are often adopted, such as appropriating the fame of another’s distinctive features. Our mission is to protect clients who have distinctive features that are not registered but have become established in the market.

We handle, among other things:

• Securing protection for distinctive features such as a brand name and distinctive titles
• Taking action against boycotts and discriminatory treatments
• Taking action against the canvassing of customers
• Comparable, unfair and misleading advertising.
• Legal support during the conception and execution of advertising campaigns

To protect our clients’ interests in the most effective manner possible against the illegal importation of imitation products and the unlicensed use of protected marks, we liaise with the authorities to help ensure that reliable customs checks are conducted on products of doubtful origin. Apart from the customs service, we also maintain contact with the Market Police, the Municipal Police and the tax authorities, so that we can be promptly informed and, after consulting with the client, take steps to have any counterfeit goods seized or destroyed.

In a globalised world dominated by the internet and new technologies, protection of copyright is a major challenge.
In this area we provide advice on:

• Judicial and extra-judicial protection of intellectual property
• Drafting and negotiating transfer and leasing contracts and concession licences
• Conducting legal checks as part of purchase or sale agreements
• Drafting publishing contracts

Trade secrets are extremely valuable assets and an effective way to protect practices, methods, business information or recipes which foster innovation or simply provide a competitive advantage. We can help you safeguard the integrity of your trade and business information and assist you in dealing with insider threats and unfair competition.