Trade marks, intellectual property, IP

ARROWS attorneys understand that a company's brand, original ideas, and innovations are among the most valuable assets of a modern company. When trademarks and intellectual property are not properly protected, companies risk business chaos, loss of customer and business partner trust, and protracted disputes over what is rightfully theirs.

(photo of ARROWS team)

Advokátní kancelář ARROWS má zkušenosti s tím, že včasná právní ochrana know-how a značky přináší klientům klid na práci a jistotu, že o své nápady nepřijdou. Naši právníci denně pomáhají podnikatelům a investorům zajistit, aby se z inovací a dobrého jména firmy nestal snadný terč pro konkurenci. V praxi proto řešíme vše od registrace ochranných známek přes nastavení licenčních smluv až po zásahy proti zneužití duševního vlastnictví – vždy s cílem minimalizovat rizika a ušetřit vám čas i starosti.

V dnešní době rychlých technologií a ostrého konkurenčního boje je účinná správa a obrana duševního vlastnictví klíčová. Konkurenti se často snaží napodobit úspěšné výrobky nebo parazitovat na zavedené značce, a pokud nejste na takové útoky připraveni, může vás to stát nejen peníze, ale i dobré jméno. Jediná opomenutá přihláška patentu či ochranné známky, nebo podcenění licenčních práv, pak způsobí zmatek a zbytečné náklady na dodatečné spory.

Naši právníci ARROWS těmto rizikům předcházejí – zajistí důkladnou právní ochranu vašich nápadů a značek, abyste se mohli soustředit na rozvoj podnikání s pocitem jistoty. Díky dlouholetým zkušenostem (ARROWS pečuje o více než 150 akciových společností, 250 společností s ručením omezeným a 51 obcí a krajů) přesně víme, jaké kroky v praxi fungují a co naopak vede ke zbytečným komplikacím.

Služby, které Vám můžeme v rámci IP poskytnout:

Registrace ochranných známek:

Pomáháme s celým procesem registrace ochranné známky a zajišťujeme, aby vaše značka byla správně chráněna od samého počátku. Poradíme, jak se vyhnout zamítnutí přihlášky a jak efektivně ochránit vaše logo, název či slogan.

Ochrana duševního vlastnictví:

Nabízíme právní ochranu vašeho know-how, obchodního tajemství a inovativních nápadů. Připravíme dohody o mlčenlivosti (NDA) či jiné vnitřní směrnice, abyste cenné informace udrželi pod zámkem a předešli úniku know-how ke konkurenci.

Who can you contact?

Enforcement of rights:

We provide prompt legal assistance in cases of trademark, patent, or copyright infringement. We will represent you in cases of unauthorized use of your intellectual property, whether it be a warning letter, settlement negotiations, or litigation for damages.

Research and analysis:

We conduct thorough research and analysis of available trademark and patent databases. We will determine whether your intended trademark or invention is already protected by someone else to avoid conflict or invalid investment. This also includes monitoring new applications – we will notify you in a timely manner if a conflicting designation appears.

Business models and licensing:

We help set up business models for licensing and franchising your products, technologies, or brands. We prepare license agreements that protect you fairly and allow you to safely monetize your intellectual property (e.g., through franchises, sublicenses, or joint ventures).

Consulting and strategy:

We provide strategic consulting in the field of intellectual property and trademarks. We will design a long-term IP strategy for you – from patent and trademark portfolio management, through international protection planning for expansion, to the tax aspects of working with intangible assets.

Representation before authorities:

We represent you in proceedings before authorities and institutions such as the Industrial Property Office, the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) or the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). We take care of the formalities, communication with the authorities and any opposition proceedings, so that you have everything under one roof without any worries.

Legal reviews (due diligence):

We perform legal reviews of intellectual property in mergers and acquisitions. We check whether the company being acquired has its patents, trademarks, and licenses in order and identify risks (e.g., disputed ownership of key technology) that could jeopardize your investment. Based on an audit of IP assets, we recommend measures to minimize risks and future disputes.

The most common trademark and IP issues we resolve for clients:

Inadequate protection of trademarks and know-how:

Many companies delay registering trademarks or fail to protect their know-how, believing that they are not at risk. The opposite is true – if you do not protect your brand in time, a competitor may register a similar name or logo. Similarly, unsecured know-how (without a patent or employee contracts) can easily leak out. The result is often chaos, loss of uniqueness in the market, and protracted disputes over who actually owns the ideas or brand.

Infringement of third-party rights (unintentional or intentional):

Companies sometimes unknowingly come into conflict with the rights of others—for example, they use a name similar to another company's registered trademark, use software without a valid license, or develop a product that infringes on someone else's patent. This can result in inspections and fines, seizure of goods, or litigation for damages.

ARROWS lawyers put out the fire in such situations – they protect clients from unreasonable penalties, negotiate amicable solutions, or prepare a robust defense for court. However, the best solution is prevention: timely legal analysis to determine whether your activities infringe on the rights of others.

(photo: Ondřej Cicvárek, trademark law specialist, ARROWS law firm)

Leakage of know-how and loss of competitive advantage:

The value of a company often lies in its trade secrets, recipes, technologies, or databases, which it has developed with great effort. However, if these are not protected by contracts and organizational measures, there is a risk of leakage—typically when key employees leave for a competitor or a business partner copies ideas.

Without legal protection (such as patent applications, industrial designs, or NDA agreements), a company can lose years of head start and investment. We handle cases where clients have almost lost control of their innovations due to underestimating the importance of protecting their know-how. We then helped to stop the damage and ensure that the situation did not repeat itself.

Incorrectly drafted license agreements and franchising:

Entering into a license agreement or franchise agreement without professional review may not pay off. We encounter cases where companies have overlooked unfavorable terms (e.g., overly broad licenses, unfavorable remuneration calculations, or unclear obligations of the parties), resulting in financial losses and disputes.

Similarly, underestimating brand protection within a franchise can lead to "uncontrolled" use of the brand, which can damage its reputation. ARROWS lawyers prevent these problems by carefully drafting contracts – we think about details that you may not even consider, but which can cause considerable problems in practice.

Inadequate IP strategy during growth and expansion:

When a company expands abroad or launches a new product, it often discovers only after the fact that someone already owns a similar brand in the target country or that its patent is not valid outside its borders. Lack of international protection can mean a wasted investment, a forced name change for a foreign market, or protracted legal battles abroad.

Similarly, failing to renew a trademark or patent in time leads to the loss of rights. Unfortunately, such situations do happen, but they can be planned for in advance. At ARROWS, we work with our clients to develop a comprehensive IP strategy – we monitor deadlines, recommend in which countries and when to extend protection, and coordinate registrations abroad so that you do not lose your advantages.

Don't underestimate prevention in the field of intellectual property – solving problems after they arise is always more expensive, stressful, and uncertain. Our law firm therefore emphasizes early risk identification and the adoption of measures to completely avoid or minimize the above-mentioned problems.

Practical examples and our experience

ARROWS lawyers deal with trademark and intellectual property issues on a daily basis for companies of all sizes, from small and medium-sized enterprises to multinational corporations. For example, we helped a manufacturing company whose competitors were trying to imitate its product design and register a similar trademark.

Thanks to our swift legal response – including filing objections with the Industrial Property Office and obtaining a preliminary injunction from the court – we protected our client's trademark and product design. The company did not have to withdraw its products from the market or change its established brand, which would have meant a loss of customer trust and significant financial costs. The client gained peace of mind that its investment in building its brand would not be wasted.

In another case, we were approached by a technology company planning to expand abroad. We discovered that similar registered trademarks already existed in some of the target countries and recommended immediate legal action – from negotiating consent with the relevant entities to quickly registering alternative designations.

We engaged our ten-year-old network ARROWS International, which provides legal services to clients around the world, and helped secure brand protection in more than 15 countries.

We have also encountered cases where entrepreneurs failed to address software licensing agreements in their companies for years and then an unannounced audit (a so-called software licensing audit) was conducted. This resulted in fines of millions of crowns for unauthorized use of programs. Here, too, our lawyers helped by negotiating a reduction in penalties and arranging for the software supplier to issue proper licenses. The client thus avoided both financial losses and damage to its reputation and put its licensing in order for the future, giving it certainty and peace of mind.

These examples illustrate that whether you are facing copying of your products, complex license negotiations, or simply want to avoid unnecessary fines and disputes, the ARROWS team is ready to cover your back. Our IP know-how, gained from dozens of cases across industries (from manufacturing to IT to fashion brands), will help you anticipate risks before they become reality.

In addition to purely legal issues, we also take commercial considerations into account – we understand that intellectual property protection must support your business, not hinder it with bureaucracy. Thanks to our network of experts, we can provide comprehensive services under one roof (such as coordinating patent applications, tax and accounting implications of your licensing income, and IP risk insurance). We always act quickly, discreetly, and in the best interests of our clients, because we know that time, trust, and reputation are the most valuable assets in business.

Who can you contact?

Non-binding consultation and contact

ARROWS Law Firm is a modern company that uses artificial intelligence and the latest technology to protect its clients – but always with a human and personal approach. Do you have questions about trademarks, patents, or other intellectual property rights? Do you need to review contracts or get advice on how to best protect your ideas? Contact us for a non-binding consultation.

We will be happy to review your situation, propose a suitable strategy, and show you how we can help protect what really matters to you. Don't wait until problems arise – with ARROWS, you gain a head start, certainty, and, above all, peace of mind that your intellectual property is well taken care of.

Contact our lawyers today and see why we are among the leading IP law experts on the market. Your ideas and brand deserve the best care – at ARROWS, we provide it with confidence.

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