Intellectual property in Croatia

Vukmir & Associates

IP remains a cornerstone of Vukmir & Associates‘ business strategy, in spite of the firm’s successful expansion into broader corporate, commercial and litigation activity. Indeed, the firm has the edge over its competitors by dint of its “first mover advantage” (the firm has been focused on work in the space for over 25 years), as well as its ability to resource matters across the waterfront of contentious and non-contentious work with true experts in the field. A doyen of the IP ecosystem in Croatia, Mladen Vukmir is recognised as ‘a well-known visionary in the field of IP’ and not only continues to attract a substantial amount of trade mark enforcement and prosecution work but is also an inspirational figure for younger members of the team to learn from. Carla Biancotti, who is ‘dedicated to details as well as the overall picture’, also has many years’ experience in the field and heads up both the IP filing department and the firm’s Italian desk. Mirjana Jurišić co-heads the overarching IP team alongside Biancotti and Vukmir and excels in advising clients on copyright protection and complicated patent litigation. At a more junior level, Ivan Ćuk has successfully carved out a niche counselling clients in relation to the protection of designations of origin and geographical indications; senior associate Aleksander Bijelic is ‘well-versed in trade mark and patent matters’; and associate Lidija Gepert excels at handling domain name disputes.

Practice head(s):

Mladen Vukmir; Carla Biancotti; Mirjana Jurisic


Other key lawyers:

Ivan Ćuk; Andrea Kozul Pedisic; Aleksandar Bijelić; Lidija Gepert; Marko Barbaric; Vlatka Kolaric


Testimonials

They are probably the best IP law firm in Croatia. Extremely professional, knowledgeable and easy to work with.’

Carla Biancotti is a great team leader dedicated to details as well as the overall picture.’

‘Mladen Vukmir is a well-known visionary in the field of IP and widely respected for IP in Croatia and internationally.’

Aleksandar Bijelić is a great attorney who is well-versed in trade mark and patent matters.’

Key clients

Podravka


Teva Pharmaceutical Industries


Pliva Hrvatska d.o.o.


Mars Incorporated Republic of Croatia, Ministry of Agriculture, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs


Burberry Limited


HUZIP – Croatian Performers’ Rights Collecting Society


Janssen Biotech


Njuskalo.hr


Jamnica plus d.o.o


Adidas International


Renault S.A.S.


The North Face Apparel Corp.


McDonald’s Corporation


Johnson & Johnson


Nike Innovate C.V.


Visa Europe


Reebok International ltd


Klimaoprema d.d.


TOP SPORT EVENTS d.o.o.


INETEC – Institute for Nuclear Technology


MicroBlink / Photomath


PAO Gazprom neft.


Galderma


Airt


Metamorfoza d.o.o. (Museum of Illusions)


Carpmales & Ransford


Work highlights


  • Represents one of the ex-partners that previously jointly organised the cycling event TOUR OF CROATIA. The litigation involves trade mark invalidity actions and a trade mark opposition on various grounds, in particular bad faith and the misleading of competent institutions.
  • Advising a leading furniture manufacturer in Croatia during the rebranding process, which involves assistance with numerous trade marks and design applications in Croatia, Slovenia, North Macedonia and on the European Union level.
  • Assisted Super Sport (a market-leader betting and gambling company) with devising and implementing its IP strategy, which among others resulted in the successful registration of 28 new trade marks.

Divjak Topic Bahtijarevic & Krka

Although it handles a not inconsiderable volume of stand-alone IP mandates, including in the context of its one-stop-shop service to major international corporates with operations in Croatia, including Heineken Croatia, Divjak Topic Bahtijarevic & Krka is particularly effective at providing IP due diligence flowing from the firm’s involvement in some major M&A transactions, including within the IT and telecoms sectors. ‘Superb’ team head Olena Manuilenko leads on this corporate support work and is also very effective at advising on core commercial/contractual IP issues (including as they relate to data protection) and IP enforcement.

Practice head(s):

Olena Manuilenko


Testimonials

‘Standing out often comes from hard, consistent work. Attitude. There’s no denying that positive people have better relationships.’

‘Olena Manuilenko is superb.’

Key clients

Google


Nomad Foods


United Group – Telemach


Devolver Digital


Heineken Croatia


World Endurance BV (Ironman)


Looping Group


Japan Tobacco International (JTI)


PETOŠEVIĆ

Led from Croatia by Ivan Kos and aided by a pervasive presence throughout Eastern Europe, boutique firm PETOŠEVIĆ is well-positioned to advise domestic and international clients on their domestic and regional IP needs. Much of this work relates to trade mark prosecution and enforcement, an area in which Kos is particularly accomplished.

Practice head(s):

Ivan Kos


Other key lawyers:

Anamarija Stančić Petrović


Law firm Vukina & Partners Ltd.

Law firm Vukina & Partners Ltd. has many years of experience and in-depth knowledge in the IP field, ensuring that it is able to provide ‘a reliable service and advice in prosecution and contentious matters’, directly for clients as well as in a law firm referral context. Team heads Sanja Vukina and Mislav Vukinaboth show a deep knowledge of the protection of IP’, with Sanja also adding extra capabilities by dint of her qualification as a patent and trade mark attorney. The team is well-versed at advising on the commercialisation of IP and has experience in drafting various types of IP-related agreements, including co-existence agreements as well as various types of licence and franchise agreements.

Practice head(s):

Sanja Vukina; Mislav Vukina


Testimonials

‘It is a top-tier boutique law office in Croatia with many years of experience and in-depth knowledge in the IP field, rendering a reliable service and advice in prosecution and contentious matters.’

The lawyers are highly motivated, always give 100% of their energy, and focus on things that matter to us as clients. Their international experience and exposure, and broader understanding of the business environment give us more confidence in the legal advice they provide us with.’

‘Vukina & Partners is a very experienced and knowledgeable boutique law firm. We can always rely on their excellent service in advice in IP matters.’

Key clients

Akashic Record Crate d.o.o.


Chips Way d.o.o.


KONZUM plus d.o.o.


Metamorfoza d.o.o.


Hrvatska udruga za promociju i razvoj intelektualnog i Umjetničkog stvaralaštva – RezervArt


Bruketa&Žinić&Grey d.o.o.


Atlantic Group d.d.


ITEM d.o.o.


BIOVEGA d.o.o.


Luka Čulig


Pik Vrbovec


Fine Krpice d.o.o.


LSH Inovacije d.o.o.


Vasiljev d.o.o.


Varteks d.o.o.


Feromihin d.o.o.


Mamic Peric Reberski Rimac Law Firm LLC

Mamic Peric Reberski Rimac Law Firm LLC regularly advises firm-wide clients, including within the pharmaceuticals, financial services, media and tourism sectors, on the registration and enforcement of their IP rights. Natalija Perić heads the team.

Practice head(s):

Natalija Perić


Other key lawyers:

Vladimir Mamić; Nikola Kokot; Nina Ovčar; Ivana Marić; Stela Siladi


Key clients

Oktal Pharma


Styria Group


Zagreb Stock Exchange


LIBURNIA RIVIERA HOTELI


Orbico Beauty


GS1 CROATIA – Croatian Association for Automatic Identification, Electronic Data Interchange and Management of Business Processes


Adria Media Zagreb d.o.o.


Maritime Center of Excellence llc


Stilisimo Lab d.o.o.


Work highlights


  • Advising Oktal Pharma, one of the leading pharmaceutical distributors and wholesalers in the Republic of Croatia and Southeast Europe, in several IP matters, including patent investigation and patent protection.
  • Continued advising European Group Styria in various IP matters related to software protection, software solutions and IP rights transfer, and others.
  • Advising Zagreb Stock Exchange on IP matters related to copyright, IP rights transfer and data protection law.

MATEKOVIĆ & Partners Law Firm LLC

MATEKOVIĆ & Partners Law Firm LLC provides ‘proactive legal solutions and relevant advice’ to media, telecoms and pharmaceuticals clients across a range of contentious and non-contentious IP matters. The firm, under the guidance of Krešimir Matekovic, has developed particular expertise advising on copyright-related mandates, including its work for Croatia’s public broadcasting company Croatia Radiotelevison in a copyright infringement dispute brought against Croatia Telecom for an unauthorised publication of a Croatian Radiotelevision show on its web portal.

Practice head(s):

Krešimir Mateković; Ivan Sabljić; Dora Adžić; Laura Mateković


Testimonials

‘The firm provides proactive legal solutions and relevant advice.’

‘Laura Mateković is highly responsive, client oriented, solution oriented, extremely dedicated to provide the best legal services and very keen at her work, as well as diligent, reliable and trustworthy.’

Key clients

Hrvatska radiotelevizija (Croatian radiotelevision)


NOVO NORDISK Hrvatska d.o.o.


PROARH tri d.o.o.


Valamar Riviera d.d.


Work highlights


  • Continuing to represent longstanding client Croatian Radiotelevision in various legal procedures, including a recent dispute with Croatian Telecom regarding the fact that Croatian Telecom published Croatian Radiotelevision’s show without authorisation.
  • Initiated proceedings of trade mark registration for Valamar Riviera, a leading hotel chain in the Republic of Croatia, before the EUIPO in order to register and protect five verbal and three figurative trade marks of the Valamar group.
  • Providing legal advice and opinion to NOVO NORDISK Hrvatska regarding copyright agreements by which healthcare professionals provide lectures to healthcare organisations and the patient association and NOVO NORDISK Hrvatska uses these lectures for its own purposes.

Porobija & Spoljaric

IT and tech are at the very core of Porobija & Spoljaric‘s business model, both in terms of using legal tech to better serve its clients, as well as handling a wide array of IP and IT-related work for clients of the firm. Team head Luka Porobija is particularly effective advising domestic clients in the sector, including start-ups, on their commercial contract and data protection work, as well as in relation to the commercialisation of their IP rights. The ‘very diligent’ Suzana Cesarec Nöthig is very accomplished at IP protection both domestically as well as for clients seeking trade mark registration with the EUIPO. Managing partner Marko Porobija has a ‘strong understanding of issues in the digital economy’ and was central to the firm’s adoption of legal tech tools internally.



Practice head(s):

Luka Porobija


Other key lawyers:

Marko Porobija; Suzana Cesarec Nöthig; Marko Đurić; Dora Stazić


Testimonials

‘They understand technology and the IT sector very well.’

‘Very co-operative and solutions oriented. Gives you assurance that your team and topic is well addressed.’

‘Marko Porobija has a strong understanding of issues in the digital economy with an evangelic role for the regional legaltech segment.’

Šavoric & Partners

As well as providing support to the firm’s strong corporate offering in an IP due diligence context, the team at Šavorić & Partners, which is headed by Boris Šavorić and Boris Babić, continues to pick up stand-alone advisory work for companies seeking to protect, enforce and commercialise their IP rights.

Practice head(s):

Boris Šavorić; Boris Babić


Other key lawyers:

Natalija Babić


Key clients

DECATHLON


Zalando


Invera Equity Partners


IKEA


Kompare.hr


Work highlights


  • Advised Decathlon on a settlement agreement with Collective Management of Copyright and Related Rights (ZAMP, a Croatian composers’ society, a professional organisation of composers in Croatia) in connection with a dispute regarding payment of the fee for the public use of music (copyright works) in Decathlon premises.
  • Advising Croatian private equity fund Invera Equity Partners on IP issues associated with its investment in Metamorfoza, a company owning the franchise of Museum of Illusions worldwide.
  • Providing IP advice under Croatian law to Zalando during its expansion to eight European markets, including Croatia.

Vidan Law Office

Vidan Law Office provides ‘business-oriented, clear and useful legal advice’ to clients from a range of industries on the protection, enforcement and commercialisation of their IP rights. Name partner Hrvoje Vidan is well-versed at advising on trade mark, copyright and industrial design matters and is also a registered arbitrator in the context of domain name disputes.

Practice head(s):

Hrvoje Vidan


Other key lawyers:

Petra Luštica; Ivona Stričak


Testimonials

Obviously well-educated and knowledgeable in the field of business we worked together.’

All team members are very responsible, business oriented, providing clear and useful legal advice.’

The individuals we worked with are well-experienced lawyers with a sense for commercial outcome which is very practical.’

We have been working with Hrvoje Vidan for more than a decade because of the very detailed insight he puts in each project and very immediate and practical approach.’

Wolf Theiss

Wolf Theiss‘s small IP team is best-suited to providing support on M&A transactions handled by the firm’s strong corporate team in relation to acquisitions of IP-rich industries, with managing partner Luka Tadić-Čolić overseeing some of the practice’s work. Former practice head Luka Čolić departed to found Law firm ČOLIĆ DOROTIĆ Ltd in January 2023.

Key clients

Investindustrial


TaskUs


WhiteSource


Bookaway


Glooko


Work highlights


  • Advising private equity firm Investindustrial on the IP/IT aspects of its investment into Croatian company Rimac Automobili, a leader in high-performance electric vehicle technology and a majority shareholder in Bugatti Rimac.
  • Advising Glooko, a leading provider of remote patient monitoring and data management solutions, on the acquisition of the Croatian software developer Code Consulting. One of the main issues in the transaction was to secure that all IP created by the target and its external contractors was validly transferred and acquired in the course of the transaction.
     
     
  • Providing IP-related advice (including as it relates to licence agreements) to Daimler AG (now Merzedes-Benz Mobility AG) in connection with the sale of its Croatian company Mercedes-Benz Leasing Hrvatska d.o.o., a provider of leasing services.

Živko Mijatovic & Partners

Boutique IP firm Živko Mijatovic & Partners advises domestic and international clients on the protection and enforcement of their IP rights. In this context, the Croatian team, which is headed by trade mark and anti-counterfeiting expert Ivana Knezevic, can also effectively leverage resources from across the firm’s network of offices throughout the SEE region on multi-jurisdictional matters.

Practice head(s):

Ivana Knežević


Other key lawyers:

Vanja Caratan; Ivana Ervaćanin