In a decision dated 12 May 2016, the German Federal Court of Justice (Bundesgerichtshof – BGH) narrowed the scope of liability of WiFi access operators for rights infringements of users of WiFi access points.

How can an owner's right be effectively and rapidly protected against infringement of its IP rights? Preliminary court proceedings in Germany are a sharp tool in disputes about infringement of trade marks, designs, patents, copyrights or acts of unfair competition.

On April 14, 2026, the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) issued a landmark ruling in Case C-590/23 (Pelham II), clarifying the scope of the “pastiche” exception under Article 5(3)(k)...

A law firm may also be a member of the public within the meaning of R. 262.1 (b) RoP, see already order of 9 January 2024, UPC_CoA_480, UPC_CoA_481/2024, Abbott v Powel Gilbert.

Was als schön oder hässlich, als Kunst oder Kitsch gelten mag, ist naturgemäß Sache des Betrachters. Ob das Design eines Gebrauchsgegenstands Urheberrechtsschutz genießt...

Trademarks, copyrights, patents, know-how - "IP rights" of all kinds are important economic assets.

Marken, Urheberrechte, Patente, Know-how – „IP-Rechte" aller Art sind wichtige wirtschaftliche Güter. Sollen sie nicht nur selbst genutzt, sondern auch durch Dritte...

On 20 February 2025, the German Federal Supreme Court (BGH) delivered a landmark ruling in a case concerning the copyright protection of Birkenstock sandals.

It is also advisable to be prepared in case you might be seen to be infringing a competitor's rights, for example, during a trade fair in Germany.

The EPO is taking steps to encourage the disclosure of AI innovations, instead of keeping them as trade secrets.

In einer Entscheidung vom 4. Dezember 2025 hat der Gerichtshof der Europäischen Union (EuGH)...

In a decision on 1 June 2011, 5 U 113/09, which has attracted much attention, the Hanseatic Higher Regional Court set out new basic principles for controlling the ge-neral terms and conditions of copyright-related contracts.

In einem wegweisenden Urteil zur urheberrechtlichen Pastiche Schranke hat das Landgericht Berlin (Az.: 15 O 551/19) der Freiheit der Kunst und damit dem Maler Martin Eder zum Recht verholfen.

Since May 25, 2018 at the latest, the question has arisen as to whether the new data protection provisions must be observed for a wide variety of digital applications/processes.

Der Europäische Gesetzgeber erarbeitet derzeit einen Gesetzesentwurf, der die gesamte Industrie nachhaltig beeinflussen wird: das Gesetz über künstliche Intelligenz (KI-Gesetz).

The European Commission has made it clear: The timetable for implementing the Artificial Intelligence Act (EU AI Act) remains unchanged.

A Munich court has held that three AI‑generated logos lacked the required level of human creative input to qualify for copyright protection. Although prompts were used, the judges found that the AI's technical...

In a landmark ruling on the pastiche copyright exemption, the Berlin Regional Court (Conway ./. Eder, 15 O 551/19) has upheld the constitutionally protected Freedom of the Arts as guaranteed...

Am 14. April 2026 hat der Gerichtshof der Europäischen Union (EuGH) in der Rechtssache C‑590/23 (Pelham II) eine grundlegende Entscheidung erlassen und den Anwendungsbereich der Ausnahme für die...

In the modern era of Intellectual Property (IP) — i.e., the last 150 years or so — it has always been a given that patents, copyrights, trademarks, service marks, design rights and all other IP rights can or will expire.