Services
DIFFERENT PHASES
Pursuing the protection of technology already starts when performing research and development. Using the right contracts and internal company procedures forms a basis for protection. Also identifying rights of others can already be relevant in this phase, in particular prior to market launch of a product or service.
Drafting a patent application or describing technology for defining a trade secret often forms a significant step. This also holds for further patent prosecution and contesting rights of others before patent offices, directed to introducing respectively reducing later barriers to using technology.
Enforcing rights that protect technology can for example lead to court proceedings or a licence agreement. The other way around one could be faced with claims from someone else, for example when being accused of patent infringement or in a dispute concerning the right to a patent. in this phase a proper preparation during earlier phases may be valued.
Synergy
The different phases described above are intertwined. We believe that our services benefit from a broad approach that involves all these phases. We can evaluate various strategies in an unbiased way. The combination of the various activities within one firm moreover facilitates a harmonised and effective approach.
Main services
The services include support in legal matters to which technology is central, such as disputes in the field of patent law or concerning trade secrets. We can provide advice on the steps to be taken and if necessary provide representation as an attorney at law before the Dutch courts. We also readily think along with disputes outside The Netherlands that in the future possibly will have a Dutch counterpart.
Services as a patent attorney are mainly directed to drafting patent applications, to further pre-grant patent prosecution and to (opposition) proceedings after grant. We can represent clients before the Dutch patent office, the European patent office, and the International Bureau of the WIPO. We work via foreign patent attorneys before other patent offices.
In addition, advice is given on the various ways of protecting technology. Based on our experience and expertise, we also advise clients on the policy and procedures within a company for handling inventions and trade secrets. We can for example check how a company performs on the important topics. We also advise on agreements such as license agreements and non-disclosure agreements.
In addition we can give presentations on the above subjects and provide the opportunity for training and mentoring of your employees. We like working as part of a legal or technical team. At the request of a client we could work with service providers from within or outside our network. We also give second opinions on pending cases.