The Legal 500 > Europe, Middle East & Africa > Spain > Intellectual property: Copyright

Baker McKenzie is a popular choice for copyright disputes and regulatory matters and frequently acts for household names in the media industry. José María Méndez and Carles Prat are the practice heads. María Dolores Garayalde is also recommended.

Bird & Bird was bolstered by the arrival of Mariano Santos, who joined in March 2018 from Herrero & Asociados. Well-regarded of counsel Raul Bercovitz recently advised Lexmark on the impact of the Royal Decree-Law 12/2017, which has established a private copying compensation system based on levies on recording and storage devices. He and Antonio Cueto also advised the International Olympic Committee on the use of certain archive recordings and films. Senior associate Teresa Mercadal works with key client Mediaproducción. Manuel Lobato, Antonio Cueto and up-and-coming senior associate José Angel García-Zapata are the other names to note.

Clifford Chance has a strong track record handling copyright legislation. Practice head Miquel Montañá is advising Banco Santander on the copyright aspects of multiple project finance operations for the production of several films and television series. Other work includes successfully advising Samsung on the copyright aspects of various app launches and marketing campaigns. Josep Montefusco and senior associate Juan Cuerva de Cañas are also noted.

Gómez-Acebo & Pombo is praised by clients for its 'realistic risk analysis'. The group is acting for Vaughan Systems in a copyright infringement claim filed by Sony Music concerning the use of a specific song in the TV programme and advertising material of one of the courses broadcast by TVE. Eduardo Castillo leads the practice. Jesús Muñoz Delgado, Sofía Martínez-Almeida and Ibán Diez are other key contacts. Isabela Crespo is a very active senior associate. Gonzalo Ulloa is honorary president at the firm. José Miguel Lissen joined ABG Patentes (now ABG Intellectual Property).

Uría Menéndez’s team has a strong track record handling a range of copyright matters for media corporations. Montiano Monteagudo leads the practice. Agustín González is also noted.

At ECIJA, the team has 'a very commercial approach'. Clients include media multinationals and start-ups. In one highlight, the team is acting for Fox Spain in the negotiation of advertising contracts concerning the company's global intellectual property rights. Managing partner Alejandro Touriño and Carlos Perez are the key names and Franz Ruz is also noted.

Elzaburu is a key name for contentious copyright matters. Practice head Antonio Castán, Carlos Morán and Colm Ahern are the names to note. Anti-counterfeiting specialist Juan José Caselles is also active in this space.

Eversheds Sutherland Nicea's group is well regarded for advising major music publishers. The practice is defending a record company in a dispute with a well-known Catalan author who has challenged the client's master recording rights and royalty policy. Vicente Arias Máiz leads the copyright practice, which includes senior associate Celia Bouzas González, who joined from Penafort Abogados in March 2018.

CMS Albiñana y Suárez de Lezo’s practice is led by Javier Torre de Silva. It has notable sector strength in the pharmaceutical, technology, financial, automotive and consumer goods industries. The practice is assisting Ricoh España with legal advice concerning new private copy regulation, and is handling the submission of allegations before the relevant authorities with regard to private copy regulations to be approved. Blanca Cortés is the key name. Bartolomé Martín joined as counsel in May 2018 from DLA Piper LLP.

RCD has considerable expertise in the pharmaceutical and technology sectors but also acts for corporate clients from an array of industries. Ignasi Costas is the key contact.

At Augusta Abogados, practice head Carlos Valls successfully acted for Skechers in criminal proceedings against a counterfeiter in the Canary Islands.

At DLA Piper LLP, Diego Ramos is the key name. A key client is Ty, a toy company, which the firm advised on anti-counterfeiting matters. Of counsel Paula González de Castejón is also noted. Bartolomé Martín, formerly a senior associate with the firm, is now with CMS Albiñana y Suárez de Lezo.

Jones Day's Marta Delgado Echevarría is the key name. The group handles copyright matters for multinational clients.

Roca Junyent acts for several high-profile clients, including the Gala-Salvador Dalí Foundation. Anna Viladàs Jené leads the work and senior associate Javier Vázquez is also noted.