Health apps, fitness trackers, patient data analytics, virtual consultancy and digital billing: modern information and communication technologies are becoming increasingly important in the life science and healthcare sectors. We regularly advise clients on the legal requirements for eHealth services as well as on product development and offer support with obtaining the relevant certifications. We advise developers of healthcare applications, digital service providers in the healthcare sector, billing centres and eHealth platforms as well as also various other business that process health-related data.  

Smartphones, PCs, notebooks, and tablets (etc.) can be refurbished so that they are as good as new. Refurbishment thus makes it possible to save a considerable amount of money on the purchase of hardware from brand manufacturers. Refurbishment also protects the environment; the production of new hardware, on the other hand, requires large quantities of rare earths, precious metals, and other raw materials. But: Copyright collecting societies from Germany (ZPÜ) and Austria (Austro Mechana) are increasingly confronting suppliers of refurbished devices and storage media with demands to pay a levy for devices and storage media. They are thus endangering the refurbishment business model. It is already questionable whether such an obligation to pay a levy for used equipment exists at all. In principle, the manufacturer, importer, or dealer of new devices is already obliged to pay the levy. The demands of the collecting societies would therefore often lead to a prohibited double payment if the levy had to be paid again for a refurbished device.

We advise authors, artists, producers and publishers on all questions of music law, in relation both to music publishing and to the development and realisation of music productions.  The scope of our activities is not only advisory - encompassing on the form and content of contracts relevant to copyright across the whole spectrum of music law, such as recording contracts, publishing contracts, artist and songwriter contracts, sampling agreements, synchronisation licences and other licence agreements - but also contentious, protecting and enforcing our clients' rights though the courts.

Within the framework of his legal activities on behalf of the "Landesverband des Deutschen Bühnenvereins" - the Regional Section of the German Theatre and Orchestra Association - copyright, collective bargaining and contracts issues have become part of Alexander Unverzagt's everyday legal life.  The same is true for legal and expert opinions on subjects such as "set design" and "productions and copyright" and also for questions on "alterations and copyright" or "alterations to plays".

Through his earlier work for various museums in Freiburg and Hamburg, Alexander Unverzagt has for decades had close personal contacts with artists, exhibition organisers, organisers of art events and art fairs, art educators, but also with museums, agents and auction houses, art dealers, gallery owners, restorers, art advisers and art collectors. Today, we advise and act for (often only in the background) a significant number of collectors in relation both to auction house purchases and their reversal, but equally for museums in respect to assessing their rights in original works or photographs.  Increasingly, questions of copyright ownership and liability for infringement are coming into play, which are then resolved in the context of expert opinions.

Cars, furniture, lamps, bathroom fittings, sculptures, sports equipment, packaging – the external appearance of a product sets its stamp on the market perceptions of a company.  We act energetically to protect design rights.  If your design is copied by others, we will pursue an out of court strategy with you, but will not hesitate to litigate before the courts.

A brand determines the corporate image of a company and the look of many product lines. Protecting and safeguarding our clients' marks and ensuring that they can be utilised world-wide - and cannot be used by others - is one of our core concerns.

Our expertise additionally extends to matters of public relations. We work actively with companies and institutions and their press officers and PR agencies to develop and realise PR strategies and activities.

We have advised publishing houses, (bestselling) authors, publishers, editors, and literary agents for many years on the complex legal questions arising in this area – from manuscript preparation through to book tour.  We are at home with all types of genres –non-fiction and specialist texts, fiction, illustrated books, children's books, biographies, audio books and e-books. In that context we work with our clients to develop both established and innovative content models and commercial opportunities to deliver the "written" word to readers and users in digital format, from the now established E-book (enhanced or otherwise) via multimedia text exploitation through to the social media contributions of publishers and authors. Our service naturally includes all-important book-related and ancillary rights such as film rights, merchandising, and theatrical and musical exploitation rights.

Contact partners: Dr Sebastian Rengshausen Claudia Gips Michael Philippi