IP/IT

We offer a number of specialised market facing and issues driven services including:

  • brand protection and enforcement;
  • integrated product lifecycle management (IP rights/ownership, permits and government monitoring, distribution and pricing policy, promotional claims, labelling, advertisement clearance, protection and management of conflicts and regulatory issues);
  • IP litigation;
  • data protection issues; and
  • internet-related advice (e-commerce, m-commerce, new media issues, international cyber-piracy and domain name disputes).

We also draft and negotiate a wide range of agreements relating to the national and international acquisition, disposal, and exploitation of IP rights, on a stand-alone basis or in the context of IPOs, M&A transactions, joint ventures, demergers, corporate reorganisations, tax-based schemes or securitisations.

Some examples of our advice on chemical issues:

  • Bayer on a proposed website in China, including regulatory requirements regarding internet activities, online advertising, regulations specific to the sector and patent privacy issues;
  • Celanese on research and development co-operation and joint exploitation of IP rights with an investor from the technology sector;
  • CIBA Specialty Chemicals on patent infringement litigation against Italian based 3V Sigma relating to fluorescent whitening agents and on patent infringement litigation against Milliken relating to clarifying agents in Germany;
  • Degussa on issues of co-ownership patents;
  • Dow Chemical on the validity and infringement of a patent with respect to polymers, the coordination of envisaged court proceedings in Germany, Belgium, France and The Netherlands and the specific procedural possibilities of those proceedings;
  • Ripplewood Holdings on the IP aspects of its purchase of Kraton Polymer, a subsidiary of the Shell Oil Group;
  • Scotts Celaflor on a number of IP issues over the last ten years, including trademark infringement issues, patent disputes and licensing issues in the field of plant protection products, regulatory and product liability issues;
  • Solvay on a potential claim by BP under indemnities granted in the IP HDPE agreements following a claim by Chevron Phillips of infringements of its intellectual property rights; and
  • Syngenta on the successful enforcement of its chemical patent on Thiamethaxom, a new generation insecticide, through infringement litigation in China.

News

Freshfields advises BASF on proposed takeover bid for Ciba View

Briefings

Carbon Crush: ICIS Chemical Business 14-20 July 2008  View

REACH: what the EU’s new chemical reforms mean for consumer products companies  View

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