Intellectual Property Law
Urheberrecht, Marken, Patente, Know-how, Werbung, Medien, Design
Expertise and innovation are the pillars of economic success. We help you protect and use your developments, creations, trademarks and designs in an international environment. We support you in proceedings, processes and transactions in all areas of intellectual property law.
IP and IT strategy and transaction advice
We advise our clients on IP strategies and all intellectual property topics in a transactional environment. In addition, we provide support with the structuring, negotiation and documentation of transactions over IP rights. This includes, in particular:
- Development and implementation of strategies to safeguard business models by way of patents, trademarks, industrial designs, copyrights or regulatory instruments
- Transfer and licensing of IP rights
- Franchising, sponsoring, setup and implementation of distribution systems
- R&D cooperations and joint ventures
- IP aspects in M&A and capital market transactions
- IP due diligence and audits of all kinds
Representation before courts and authorities
We represent clients before courts and authorities in litigation related to intellectual property. Our core competencies include:
- Support in proceedings before registration authorities as in particular the Federal Institute of Intellectual Property (IPI) and – with the help of our correspondent law firms – before corresponding foreign authorities
- Disputes concerning the validity and enforcement of patents, trademarks, copyrights, software and trade secrets
- Disputes over rights to major events and sponsorship
- Disputes concerning the protection of trade secrets
Your Experts
Michael Kummer
Senior Partner
Patrik Mauchle
Associate
Focus
The revision of the copyright law
Our society and our environment is constantly exposed to change due to the Internet, digitalization and globalization. This also includes the law and legislation. These must be adapted to the changing circumstances. Copyright is not exempt from this. Due to technological advances in the field of digitalisation, it has become increasingly clear that copyright law needs to be modernised. Parliament came to this conclusion on 27 September 2019 and the subsequent draft law came into force on 1 April this year.
Amendment of the Collective Investment Schemes Act
In the areas of asset management and distribution, the Swiss fund location can be described as a major and serious competitor for other countries. As a production location for investment products, Switzerland is rather insignificant compared to other countries. This is mainly due to the lack of EU market access and Swiss tax law in combination with withholding and stamp duty. In addition, the legal framework abroad is often more attractive than in Switzerland. The Federal Council has addressed these problems and has now adopted a dispatch on 19 August 2020 to amend the Collective Investment Schemes Act.
Grundlagen und ausgewählte Fragen des Kunstrechts
Kunst entzieht sich einer festen Definition, es gibt weder einen kunsttheoretisch noch juristisch allgemein akzeptierten Kunstbegriff. Daher existiert auch kein fester «Kanon» des Kunstrechts (wie z.B. beim Vertrags- oder Familienrecht). Selbst die Bezeichnungen variieren, so wird z.B. auch von «Kunst und Recht» gesprochen. Immerhin scheint Einigkeit darüber zu bestehen, dass es sich beim Kunstrecht (art law, droit de l’art) an sich um eine Querschnittsmate- rie handelt und nicht um ein eigenständiges Rechtsgebiet. Hingegen lässt sich beobachten, dass gewisse Zweige des Kunstrechts (z.B. Kulturgütertransfer, Kulturförderung) sich verselbständigen.
