Intellectual Property law in Germany protects various legal rights of individuals, associated with certain written or recorded medium and intercessions. The term intellectual property reflects the idea that this subject matter is the product of the mind or the intellect, though the term is a matter of some controversy.
Intellectual property laws and enforcement vary widely from authority to authority. There are inter-governmental efforts to create a balance between them through international agreements like World Trade Organization Agreement in1994 on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights, while other treaties may facilitate registration in more than one jurisdiction at a time.
Enforcement of copyright, as well as disagreements over medical and software patents, have so far prevented the emergence of a cohesive international system in Germany. The acquirement and protection of intellectual property at present time become more important than ever.
Allen & Overy's German IP team is one of the reputed groups of Intellectual Property Laws that focuses on the following protective measures:-
- Brand tribunal
- Advice and enforcement
- Patent protection
- Copyright enforcement
- Design and database rights
- Anti-piracy and counterfeiting
- Unfair law competition
- IT and licensing
They also provide services on Intellectual Property via internet and e-commerce, IP in financial and corporate transactions, and security over intellectual property rights of Germany.
The intellectual property rights challenges the traditional judicial system of Germany. The immense popularity of IP in Germany has influenced many law institutes to include this as a course of their study.
