Profile
Stephan has worked his entire professional life in the fields of industrial property rights and competition law. His experience as a trial lawyer is of particular benefit to his clients when he is retained to provide advice on corporate strategies. «The more you are familiar with areas of conflict from conducting a great deal of litigation, the better you will be able to anticipate potential problems.»
In patent law, Stephan appears for companies from sectors including mechanical and plant engineering, automotive technology, domestic appliances, textiles, building materials and building technology.
In unfair competition law, Stephan’s practice covers the protection of company secrets and cases involving technical and scientific issues, such as building law or food law.
In trademark and design law, Stephan not only appears in court, but also advises companies on developing and implementing protection or defensive strategies. Many of his clients come from the furniture and luxury goods industries, and embrace manufacturers as well as retailers. Product design protection by copyrights is a major focus of his practice. Stephan has consistently been active in test cases before the German Federal Court of Justice (BGH) and the European Courts, which subsequently evolved into landmark decisions.
He has spoken at textile industry seminars and is the co-author of «Handbuch Mode-Marketing» (Manual of Fashion Marketing) (Deutscher Fachverlag).
Stephan became a partner in 1989 and is the senior of rospatt since many years.
Key cases
- Kwang Yang Motor ./. OHIM (design protection of part of a complex product)
- Niessing ./. Bunz (copyright protection of jewellery/tension ring; leading case on damages)
- DKV ./. OHIM (distinctiveness of trade mark COMPANYLINE/EUROHEALTH)
- Thonet ./. Knuffmann (copyright protection of a cantilever chair)
- ERPO ./. OHIM (trade mark protection for a slogan: DAS PRINZIP DER BEQUEMLICHKEIT)
- ARAL ./. GPTO (trade mark protection of the colour “blue” for gas stations)
- Papier Mettler ./. Riba (platic bags; burden of proof)
Education
1974 – 1980 Universities of Bonn and Göttingen
1980 law firm in London
1980 – 1983 internship at the Berlin Court of Appeal
Connections & Networks
INTA, AIPPI, GRUR (member of the Design Committee) and VPP
Awards & Recognitions
IAM Patent 1000: Gold for Parten Infringement
MIP: Patent Star 2022
JUVE Patent Germany: Recommended Individual
Legal 500: Key Lawyer Patent Litigation: Solicitors
Chambers & Partners: Notable Practitioner in Intellectual Property
WWL: Global Leader IP – Patents 2022; National Leader Germany IP- Trademarks 2023 and Patents 2023
