Automotive

Advice in the automotive business requires a deep understanding of this branch of industry and the competition. A network with political decision makers as well as with the lobby is required in order to provide high level advice.

Case study 1:

A major manufacturer of vehicles is the owner of registered patents, trademarks and designs. Since the client has found that a constant stream of counterfeit spare parts reaches the Harmonised Market of the European Union and trade and end consumers on the main local vehicle markets it wishes to ban the counterfeits before they reach their destination within the EU and to reveal the channels of production, distribution and trade of such counterfeits within the EU. On behalf of the client we establish a EU-wide customs monitoring procedure as well as a standard for the seizure of presumably infringing imports, investigation of distribution and production channels, evaluation of possible legal steps and the enforcement of infringement claims including cost recovery.

Case study 2:

Our client is a non-European car manufacturer planning to launch a new car model. Before entering the market, the client wishes to verify that certain features of the final design of the new model will not come to close to the registered and unregistered key design features of competitive products of certain players on the market. By a diligent search and evaluation in five major European member states and a careful analysis of the results we verify that the overall impression generated by the design of the client’s new car model, particularly in its main design features, will not be the same as the design of competitors. A risk assessment is made under design law as well as unfair competition aspects.