Intellectual Property, Technology, Media and Telecommunications Practice

June 2013

Our Intellectual Property, Technology, Media and Telecommunications practice offers the full range of registration, enforcement and commercial legal services to clients across the world.  With our genuine bi-lingual capabilities, our local expertise gained over years of practice, our regional coverage, and our blend of lawyers with skills and expertise gained locally and internationally, we offer clients a genuine “one stop shop” for their IP, IT, media and telecoms legal requirements in the Middle East.

We focus on understanding our clients’ businesses and needs and our clients can be confident that we are at the forefront (and, where possible, use and enjoy), the products, services and technologies they are dealing with. This ensures we are perfectly positioned to truly understand the business environment our client work in and the needs that arise as a result of new technologies.

Trademark, Design and Patent Registration
As a leading firm in this area of work (Tier 1 ranking 2011, Managing Intellectual Property – world’s leading IP publication) we have the expertise to handle our clients trademark portfolios on an international scale. With a very close network of associates worldwide, we are able to assist clients with trademark registrations throughout the world. More specifically, our work includes filing, assignments, license recording, renewals handling opposition actions and we were the first to register a colour trademark in the UAE.
Our team manages trademarks throughout the Middle East and is able to advise clients on expected results and preempt Office actions saving clients time and costs. Our lawyers maintain open communication with registrars and examiners and are able to verify or check status fairly quickly. For patents and industrial designs, we have acting as coordinating attorneys throughout the Middle East and successfully prosecuted applications throughout the region.

Intellectual Property Enforcement and Advisory
Our work in this area includes anti counterfeiting, software piracy actions, customs complaints against shipments carrying counterfeit goods, in market seizures through administrative actions and IP court litigation.

We also advise in taking preventative branding procedures to assure adequate protection for the clients’ IP rights. We have successfully managed to profile our clients’ trademarks awareness with key officials and enforcement bodies. With supervising and arranging for persuasive events, we put our clients in officials-facing stand. For example, we arrange for enforcement officials to attend special training, presentations, field visits and awareness programs provided by our clients in the UAE or overseas at the client’s locations/ production factories.

We are recognised by the market as a leading force in patent litigation with a current Tier 1 Patent Contentious ranking by Managing Intellectual Property.
Our practice has expertise in managing domain name disputes ranging from the obvious cybersquatter to tussles with competitors.

Data Privacy and Information Security
Our lawyers have demonstrated a deep understanding of client’s expectations as to assessment of legal risks involved in data privacy and information security compliance issues.  We have worked on data privacy issues for clients from diverse industrial sectors, such as, communications and media companies, banks and financial institutions, healthcare and pharmaceutical companies, specialized and sensitive industrial product companies, human resources and Internet companies.

Regulatory work and compliance
Our work in this area includes advising on pharmaceutical registration and product advertisement restrictions, standards compliance and municipality labeling and safety requirements, tobacco regulation, consumer protection and price control, marketing campaigns licenses and clearances.

Technology
Our team offers the full range of legal services comprising original drafting, legal document review and advice, due diligence, contract negotiation, dispute avoidance and reconciliation and local law compliance and risk management in connection with the following areas:

• Consumer-oriented online and mobile technology and services (including social networking and online news, music, movies, gaming and other entertainment)
• Technology projects, infrastructure and solutions for a broad range of industries including manufacturing, education, property management, financial services and telecommunications
• The supply of technology solutions including hardware, software, services, data management and protection and combinations of these
• Patent protection for technological inventions, and subsequent commercialization
• Domain name disputes through the dispute settlement mechanisms.

We also specialize in e-Business, m-Business and e-Government, offering the full range of legal services comprising original drafting, legal document review and advice, due diligence, contract negotiation and local law compliance and risk management.

Media
Our Media expertise covers the full spectrum of requirements including media advisory work, defamation, art production and performer’s rights protection, advertising and related advisory work.  We advise on defamation laws, represent clients in defamation litigation, and review and advise upon advertising and other promotional campaigns.

We offer the full range of legal services in relation to media content, comprising original drafting, internal training, legal document review and advice, contract negotiation and local law compliance and risk management.

We are also active in Sports and Entertainment involving:

• Brand protection and exploitation such as merchandising and other licensing arrangements
• Merchandise distribution and selling arrangements
• Anti-ambush marketing and anti-counterfeiting strategies
• Trademark advice and registration
• Copyright protection and exploitation

Broadcast agreements: television, radio, mobile phone and online content production, distribution, management and exploitation, from the perspective of rights holders, broadcasters and broadcast partners

Telecommunications
We provide advice on the legal and regulatory environments within the Middle East in respect of the following:

• License applications and license obligations
• Interconnection agreements and infrastructure sharing arrangements
• Appropriate costing models for incremental pricing of wholesale and retail services
• Submissions in complex and sophisticated proceedings before Telecommunication Regulators
• Develop international best practices for meeting technology, commercial and regulatory requirements

We provide advice on the legal requirements applicable to the delivery and/or reselling of the following services:

• Networking Integration Services
• Converged Communications Services
• Network Strategy Services
• VOIP Services
• RFID and Mobility Wireless Services
• Telecommunications Management Services
• Government policy and regulation
• Interconnection and access
• Corporate governance compliance with statutory obligations under company, telecommunications, competition, privacy, consumer protection, data protection and advertising law
• Encryption Services
• Internet Filtering Services
• Import of telecommunications related apparatus

We are one of the very few firms to have regional telecommunication capabilities actually situated in the Middle East. The Telecoms team works seamlessly with colleagues in our regional offices and across a well-established network of trusted regional and international associates.

Our Accolades
Legal 500 – Ranked the IP Department highly including Tier 1 rating for IP and Tier 2 for TMT (2010). The IP Department has been awarded the top tier for the past 4 consecutive years
Chambers Global – Tier 2 in Intellectual Property Firms in UAE (2011)

Chambers Global – Tier 3 in TMT Firms in UAE (2011)

Corporate International Global Award – Best Intellectual Property Law Firm of the Year in UAE (2011)

Managing Intellectual Property – Tier 1 for Trademark and Copyright Contentious work and Tier 1 for Trademark Prosecution in UAE (2011)

Award for supporting intellectual property rights (UAE) – Ministry of Economy (2010)

Dubai Customs Department – Foremost legal firm in registering cases against counterfeit products (2011 and 2010)

Front row from left to right:  David Yates, Nick O’Connell, Hesham Al Barbary, Omar Obeidat, Munir Suboh. Stephen Jiew,
Second row from left to right:  Mohamed Ali, Yvonne Pah, Lara Ababneh, Rasha Al Ardah, Firas Belhas, Faisal Daudpota
Missing from photo:  Anita Siassio