Intellectual Property

Our services range from specialist services like trademark and design filings, the management of trademark and design portfolios, structuring, negotiating and documenting licences, technology transfer and other IP related transactions, software contracts, outsourcing projects, M&A projects relating to the IT industry, IT related joint ventures and IT policies, to advice to clients on all IP aspects of their commercial transactions.

We also represent clients in disputes over patents, trademarks, designs, copyright-related products, licences, software, domain-names and other IP and IT related issues across the Middle East.

Examples of our lawyers’ experience include:

• Advising a major travel agency in establishing an online reward tickets programme/application for banks customers. Involved the drafting of several contractual arrangements between the different intervening parties including the IT developers and the banks.
• Representing a French client in trademark infringement proceedings in Lebanon. Judgement obtained in favour of the client.
• Acting for a major insurance company in a dispute related to the infringement of intellectual property rights in connection with a SMS life insurance programme distribution in Lebanon. Obtained an injunction against the use of a similar programme by a competitor and successfully defended the client against the competitor’s challenge of its IP registration with the IP Protection Office.
• Advising a Lebanese client in a trademark infringement dispute in Abu Dhabi. Drafted the submissions before the UAE Federal Supreme Court which subsequently rendered a judgement in favour of the client.
• Acting for a client in a shareholders’ dispute in an JV company involving the ownership of a European registered industrial patent. Obtained an arbitral award in favour of the client and subsequently, successfully represented the client in challenges against the award before the Court of Appeal and the Court of Cassation.
• Acting as sole arbitrator in an ICC arbitration case related to an intellectual property dispute over a licence for online music distribution under Swiss law
• Advising a Lebanese company for the protection of the IP rights related to a loan evaluation software for the banking industry.
• Representing the heirs of a deceased writer in a dispute over his IP Rights against a publishing company. Obtained an arbitral award in favour of the clients.
• Representing the heirs of a deceased artist in a prosecution for infringement of his IP Rights. Obtained a judgement in favour of the clients.
• Advising the Lebanese Government on the updating of the IP Protection Laws in the course of the WTO accession process.
• Advising an investor in the acquisition and restructuring of an IT company in Dubai developing an online health care third party administration software with activities in Lebanon, Turkey and the Arab Gulf countries.