LITIGATION AND DISPUTE RESOLUTION
Acapo assists Norwegian and foreign companies in protection and implementation of their intellectual property.
All of our lawyers are specialists in the area of intellectual property, and can assist in all questions related to this.
We also offer assistance with litigation in Norway within all areas of intellectual property rights.
All our attorneys-at-law are member of the Norwegian Bar Association (Den norske advokatforeningen). http://www.advokatforeningen.no/_/Funksjonsmeny/English/
Below you will find examples of typical problem areas in which we can assist.
AGREEMENTS
Our lawyers assist in both drafting and revising agreements. Examples of agreements we handle are license agreements, collaboration agreements, development agreements, assignments and confidentiality agreements.
Our lawyers are trained in negotiation techniques, and can thus be active partners in contract negotiations. We also assist with interpretation of terms of agreements and enforcement of contracts and contractual clauses.
TRADEMARK INFRINGEMENT
Acapo experiences that greater attention is increasingly being paid to the problem areas connected with trademarks than was the case just a few years ago. We observe that the conflict level in this area is on the increase.
Our lawyers have long experience in providing assistance in conflict matter. Sometimes conflicts can be solved through negotiations between the contending parties. In other cases disputes are solved through various forms of administrative reviews. Examples are oppositions before the Norwegian Industrial Property Office, where we either assist in protesting against the registration of a trademark, or in defending a trademark against an attack. We are also well acquainted with representing our clients in extrajudicial dispute resolution organs, such as the Norwegian Board of Appeal for Industrial Property Rights and the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Committee for the .no domain.
Not all cases are suitable for administrative review. Our lawyers also assist in ordinary legal procedures before the courts.
ILLEGAL COPYING OF PRODUCTS AND INFRINGEMENT ON REGISTERED DESIGNS
Another well-known problem area for our lawyers is disagreement regarding illegal copying of products or registered designs. In these types of cases we can assist both in out of court dispute solutions – for example cases for the Norwegian Industrial Competition Board, the Norwegian Board of Appeals for Industrial Property Rights and opposition cases towards the Norwegian Industrial Property Office – and judicial procedure.
QUESTIONS RELATED TO PATENTS
In cases regarding infringement in patents we can assist with technical evaluations of possible infringements, negotiations with the other party, out of court – for example cases for the Norwegian Board of Appeals for Industrial Property Rights and opposition cases before the Norwegian Industrial Property Office – and judicial procedure.
Acapo is also involved in questions connected to inventions by employees, including evaluation of employees’ right to compensation.
QUESTIONS RELATED TO COPYRIGHT
Copyright has become increasingly of immediate interest due to the new digital technology which has resulted in especially films and music being distributed differently than before.
Our lawyers can assist in enforcing and handling conflicts as well as negotiations connected to licensing and other types of agreements.
CUSTOMS CONTROL
Pirate copying of goods and illegal parallel import is an increasing challenge. Acapo can assist with solutions to prevent import and sale of such goods, among other things by custom control and handling legal conflicts. We also have an international network which enables us to help our clients when they meet such problems abroad.