The protection of intellectual property safeguards and promotes innovation and entrepreneurial achievement. For more than 60 years rospatt osten pross has been active exclusively in this specialized area of business law and is known for the high quality of its legal advice and its litigation skills. We secure our clients' entrepreneurial base by defending and enforcing their protected rights and shielding them against the attacks of competitors.
In patent law the German courts – especially those in Düsseldorf and Mannheim – traditionally lead the pack in Europe, hearing several hundred infringement cases a year. Also in trademark law, design protection, copyright law and antitrust law their centralized jurisdiction ensures optimum litigation handling and decisions of the highest quality.
The clientele of rospatt osten pross is international. Our clients value our independence and our detailed knowledge of current legal developments both within Germany and abroad. They know that our daily business is dealing with scientific and technical matters, pursuing legally complex trademark strategies, and steeping ourselves in the unique aspects of a design.
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History
2006
The ECJ puts an end to cross-border patent infringement trials. The decision obtained by the firm is seen as strengthening the position of Germany as a legal venue.
As part of an international team, the firm conducts an extensive series of lawsuits in the field of mobile telecommunications.
2005
The Mannheim district court sets up a second chamber for patent disputes.
The firm adopts a new corporate design.
2004
Following the successful European launch of a new coffeepad system, the firm plays a leading role in a series of international lawsuits against authorized users, which attracts a great deal of attention.
2002
After the repeal of the German Rebates Law, one of the country's largest clothing chains, represented by the firm, causes a stir with its euro-introduction rebate and triggers political initiatives for a lifting of the ban on special cut-price sales events, as well as the first decision by Germany's Federal Supreme Court on administrative proceedings under competition law.
The firm develops and successfully implements strategies against the blockading of German patent-infringement lawsuits through the use of so-called "torpedo" suits.
2001
The firm handles the "Companyline" lawsuit, only the second case under European Community trademark law to be decided by the European Court of Justice.
Owing to the growing number of patent-infringement lawsuits, the Düsseldorf district court sets up a second patent-dispute chamber.
2000
The firm wins a landmark decision in the German Federal Supreme Court ("Gemeinkostenanteil"), which constitutes a considerable improvement in the calculation of damages for holders of proprietary rights by limiting the infringer’s right to deduct his overheads.
Start of an extensive series of lawsuits concerning a patent-based strategy of market blockading in the area of automobile-industry suppliers.
In one of the many proceedings filed by the firm in the area of contributory patent infringement, Germany's Federal Supreme Court hands down its seminal "Luftheizgerät" (air-heater) decision.
1999
Henrik Timmann joins the firm, which thus gains yet another attorney.
The firm handles the first patent-infringement lawsuit in Germany in which foreign patent rights are successfully asserted (cross-border patent litigation).
Before the Düsseldorf district court the firm successfully defends the basic patent on the HCV genome against an antitrust objection.
1998
The firm achieves a breakthrough at Germany's Federal Patent Court in having abstract colors included in the register of trademarks.
With the "ufa.de" decision, the firm succeeds in having "cyber squatting" prohibited even in cases in which no prior commercial use of a domain name by the "domain grabber" can be demonstrated.
1996
The firm opens a second office, in Mannheim. That city is another important venue for IP disputes in Germany.
1995
Max von Rospatt and Thomas Musmann join the firm's team of attorneys.
The firm officially adopts the name "Rospatt · Osten · Pross".
1992
The firm represents the applicant in the first lawsuit decided by Germany's Federal Supreme Court over the granting of a compulsory license.
1988
Bernward Zollner joins the firm, further increasing the number of its attorneys.
1987
Ever faster-moving markets result in an increase in counterfeiting, and the firm is kept busy for a number of years with a flood of design-infringement lawsuits in the field of fashion.
1985
The firm handles the first patent-infringement lawsuit in Germany concerned with genetic engineering.
1983
Stephan von Petersdorff-Campen joins the firm.
1981
The firm moves into its present office quarters in Düsseldorf-Oberkassel.
1976
The invention of the hay-making machine triggers a number of patent-infringement lawsuits handled by the firm.
1974
Beginning of the litigation over the wholesaling function of the Metro company.
1972
Ulrich Pross joins the firm, bringing the number of its attorneys back to three.
1968
After the death of Georg Gewiese, Peter von Rospatt and Horst von der Osten continue the office as a law firm bearing their names.
1965
The office prevails in asserting the proprietary rights to the invention known as the ballpoint pen.
1961
Horst von der Osten joins the firm.
The firm successfully obtains Supreme Court recognition of copyright protection for the hind-leg-less steel-tube (free-swinging) chair designed by Mart Stam.
1960
Peter von Rospatt joins the firm.
1946
Founding of the Düsseldorf office by attorney Georg Gewiese, who has far-reaching international contacts with clients and leading law firms in the U.S. He enjoys an excellent reputation owing, among other things, to his role in major patent-infringement lawsuits in the field of sound motion-picture technology.
The office takes on lawsuits which last decades concerning the protection of the popular Hummel figures.
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