Trademark
A trademark is a company's primary intangible asset. It identifies the origin of goods or services, carries the commercial image and can rapidly acquire decisive economic value. Protection must be anticipated before a project launches, so as to avoid obstacles during registration, third-party oppositions or subsequent disputes.
Your questions
Can I use this name for my business?
Should I file in France, in Europe or internationally?
Why is a clearance search necessary?
What should I do if I receive an opposition, a writ of summons or a cease-and-desist letter?
How do I protect my trademark abroad?
Can I use a company name or a domain name without registering a trademark?
What can I do if a competitor uses a name close to mine?
You may be...
A business being set up or preparing to launch
You may be...
A company developing a new range of products or services
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A company or group expanding internationally
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An investor in the context of an acquisition
How the firm can help
Advisory
Protection – asset protection strategy
— Defining a protection strategy suited to the business concerned
— Validity and clearance analysis (prior rights searches)
— Trademark filings (France, European Union and international)
— Portfolio management and monitoring
— Watch services on third-party filings
Value and risk anticipation
— Intellectual property due diligence in the context of investments and M&A transactions
— Drafting and negotiating trademark-related agreements (licenses, assignments, coexistence agreements, etc.)
— Territorial expansion strategies
Litigation
— Pre-litigation management: risk analysis, cease-and-desist letters, support in negotiating a settlement
— Administrative proceedings: oppositions, invalidity actions and revocation actions before the INPI and the EUIPO
— Court proceedings: infringement seizures (saisies-contrefaçon), French and pan-European preliminary injunctions, infringement actions, ownership claims
— Amicable and court-appointed expert proceedings
— Mediation, conciliation and settlement negotiations
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COPYRIGHT
French copyright protects original works from the moment of their creation, with no registration formality. Photographs, online content, software, logos, brand guidelines and visual identity, marketing materials and audiovisual works can all be essential assets. Securing their ownership and the terms of their exploitation is decisive in avoiding disputes and enabling their commercial value to be realized.
YOUR QUESTIONS
Who owns the rights: the company, the employee, the contractor or the agency?
Is a copyright assignment agreement necessary if the deliverable has been paid for?
Can I freely reuse a logo, a photograph or content found online?
How do I secure evidence of my creation?
How can a work be exploited across several media (print, web, social media, advertising)?
What should I do if my content is reproduced or distributed without authorization?
How do I set the legal framework for working with a creator, a developer or an influencer?
You may be...
A communications agency, a creative studio or a designer
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A company developing a website or an application
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An audiovisual producer or a media player
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A brand exploiting marketing and advertising content
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A freelancer, developer or creative contractor, or a company working with them
How the firm can help
Advisory
Protection – asset protection strategy
— Identifying protectable works and rights holders
— Originality analysis
— Managing chain of title and securing ownership (employees, contractors, agencies, freelancers)
— Securing evidence of works and of their ownership (e-Soleau envelope, a dated deposit filed with the French IP Office)
— Structuring internal policy for managing creative output
Value and risk anticipation
— Copyright due diligence in the context of investments and M&A transactions
— Drafting and negotiating agreements relating to creative works (assignments, licenses, production, partnership agreements)
— Risk analysis before launching a campaign, a website or a product incorporating protected content, in particular where AI technologies are involved
Litigation
— Pre-litigation management: risk analysis, cease-and-desist letters, support in negotiating a settlement
— Court proceedings: infringement seizures (saisies-contrefaçon), copyright infringement actions, preliminary injunctions and content takedown
— Amicable and court-appointed expert proceedings
— Mediation, conciliation and settlement negotiations
DESIGN
The appearance of a product can be an essential component of its commercial value. Shape, lines, patterns, packaging and graphical interfaces may be protected as designs. Anticipating this protection helps prevent copying by competitors.
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YOUR QUESTIONS
Can I protect the shape or the design of my product?
Should I register a design, or is copyright sufficient?
When can I disclose my creation?
How do I protect packaging, a piece of furniture or an app interface?
What can I do if a competitor markets a product very close to mine?
Can I take action if my product has not been registered?
How do I protect a product intended for sale abroad?
You may be...
A designer, an architect or a creative studio
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A fashion, accessories or lifestyle brand
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A company marketing industrial or technical products
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- A company offering digital solutions (interfaces, applications)
How the firm can help
Advisory
Protection – asset protection strategy
— Defining a strategy combining designs, copyright and trademarks
— Validity and clearance analysis
— Design filings (France, European Union and international)
— Portfolio management and renewals
Value and risk anticipation
— Intellectual property due diligence in the context of investments and M&A transactions
— Drafting and negotiating agreements (assignments, licenses, commissions, partnerships, coexistence agreements)
Litigation
— Pre-litigation management: risk analysis, cease-and-desist letters, support in negotiating a settlement
— Court proceedings: infringement seizures (saisies-contrefaçon), design and copyright infringement actions, unfair competition and free-riding claims (parasitisme) – product, packaging or “look and feel” copying
— Amicable and court-appointed expert proceedings
— Mediation, conciliation and settlement negotiations
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Innovation & know-how
Technical innovation and know-how are often a company's main competitive advantage. Protection does not rest on patents alone: it combines industrial property rights, trade secret protection and a suitable contractual framework. A coherent legal strategy secures research and development investment and organizes its exploitation.
Your questions
Should my innovation be patented or kept secret?
Can I talk publicly about my project before filing?
Who owns an invention developed by an employee or a contractor?
How do I secure a research partnership or a joint project?
What can I do if a former collaborator reuses my know-how?
You may be...
A company developing innovative products or processes
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A laboratory or an R&D team
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An industrial company or a manufacturer
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A company working with partners, subcontractors or research centers
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An investor in the context of an acquisition or a financing round
How the firm can help
Advisory
Protection – asset protection strategy
— Defining the appropriate protection strategy (patent, trade secret, etc.)
— Coordination with patent attorneys and patent engineers
— Organizing confidentiality
— Legal structuring of innovative projects and technical collaborations
— Managing employee and contractor inventions
Value and risk anticipation
— Patent portfolio due diligence in the context of investments and M&A transactions
— Drafting and negotiating agreements (R&D, consortia, patent and know-how licenses, technology transfers)
Litigation
— The firm handles pre-litigation and litigation relating to technical innovations, working alongside patent attorneys and technical experts, in France and internationally.
The firm's other areas of expertise
CLIENT TESTIMONIALS
PHOTOGRAPHER
“My quotes and contracts contained clauses that did not fit my business. Inès reworked all of it. Simple, clear exchanges. I now have tailor-made documentation that works for every type of client. She also helped me on tender responses, which allowed me to frame the IP aspects properly and win the work.”
ARCHITECT FIRM
“The firm overhauled all of my contractual documentation, taking into account the diversity of my projects and my clients. Rigorous work, delivered efficiently, and real peace of mind at the end of it.”
WINE PRODUCER
“Beyond handling the disputes, the firm helped us rethink our entire approach to intellectual property (ownership, asset valuation, internal processes). Comprehensive, rigorous support, always adapted to the realities of our business.”
FOOD & BEVERAGE SECTOR
“From the very launch of our business, we were supported on our brand strategy and the protection of our creations. Responsiveness, efficiency, and advice always tailored to our concrete challenges. A trusted point of contact, whom we recommend without hesitation.”
COSMETICS BRAND
“We were supported through complex proceedings before the General Court of the European Union, then before the Paris Judicial Court. At every stage, we benefited from solid analysis and a clear strategy.”
DESIGNER
“Inès handles all of my designs, from protection through to license agreements, and steps in as soon as a copy appears on the market. Knowing that this is taken care of on an ongoing basis lets me focus on my work.”
CLIENT TESTIMONIALS
PHOTOGRAPHER
“My quotes and contracts contained clauses that did not fit my business. Inès reworked all of it. Simple, clear exchanges. I now have tailor-made documentation that works for every type of client. She also helped me on tender responses, which allowed me to frame the IP aspects properly and win the work.”
Architecture FIRM
“The firm overhauled all of my contractual documentation, taking into account the diversity of my projects and my clients. Rigorous work, delivered efficiently, and real peace of mind at the end of it.”
WINE PRODUCER
“Beyond handling the disputes, the firm helped us rethink our entire approach to intellectual property (ownership, asset valuation, internal processes). Comprehensive, rigorous support, always adapted to the realities of our business.”
FOOD & WINE SECTOR
“From the very launch of our business, we were supported on our brand strategy and the protection of our creations. Responsiveness, efficiency, and advice always tailored to our concrete challenges. A trusted point of contact, whom we recommend without hesitation.”
COSMETICS BRAND
“We were supported through complex proceedings before the General Court of the European Union, then before the Paris Judicial Court. At every stage, we benefited from solid analysis and a clear strategy.”
DESIGNER
“Inès handles all of my designs, from protection through to license agreements, and steps in as soon as a copy appears on the market. Knowing that this is taken care of on an ongoing basis lets me focus on my work.”
