Trademark Search and Clearance
Why a Trademark Search Is Essential and How It Works A trademark search (also known as a trademark clearance search) examines whether a planned trademark conflicts with earlier registered or otherwise protected signs. Its purpose is to identify legal risks before filing and to prevent opposition proceedings, injunctions or forced rebranding. A professional trademark search […]
Trademark registration DPMA, EUIPO, WIPO
Trademark Registration Guide: How to Register a Trademark in Germany, the EU and Internationally Why Trademark Registration Matters for Businesses Trademarks serve a fundamental commercial purpose: they identify goods and services as originating from a specific business and distinguish them from those of competitors. At the same time, consumers associate trademarks with particular quality standards, […]
Trademark Opposition Proceedings before the DPMA in Germany
Opposition proceedings before the German Patent and Trade Mark Office (Deutsches Patent- und Markenamt, DPMA) are a central instrument of trademark enforcement under German law. They allow owners of earlier rights to challenge the registration of a later German trademark in an administrative procedure that is significantly faster and more cost-efficient than civil litigation. In […]
GDPR Violations and Competitor Warnings: What Businesses Need to Know
For years, it was disputed whether violations of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) could be pursued by competitors under the German Unfair Competition Act (UWG). The question was particularly relevant for online businesses, where data-driven marketing and automated processing are part of everyday operations. This legal uncertainty has been fully resolved. CJEU and BGH: […]
EU AI Act 2025 in E-Commerce: What Online Shops Must Do Now
Introduction: AI Has Long Been Everyday Reality in E-Commerce Hardly any online retailer is aware that the AI Act has already triggered the first obligations as of February 2025. Anyone who still believes that AI only concerns large platforms like Amazon, eBay or tech companies like OpenAI risks fines and warning letters – often without […]