Legal advice
An infringement on your intellectual property?
We defend you.
Has someone infringed on your patent, design or trademark rights? Has a third party accused you of infringement? Oryon’s experts provide well‑considered legal advice.
Assistance in cases of (alleged) counterfeiting
When someone infringes on your patent, design or trademark rights, we defend your interests. We analyse the infringement, contact the alleged infringer or counterfeiter, follow up on negotiations and draw up a settlement agreement. If the dispute cannot be resolved amicably, we contract a lawyer specialised in intellectual property and provide advice.
And if you are accused of infringement, you can count on us too. We analyse the infringement, prepare a defence, follow up negotiations with the opposing party and draw up a settlement agreement. If necessary, we contract a lawyer specialised in intellectual property.
Patent opposition proceedings
Patent opposition proceedings are proceedings in which a third party challenges the validity of a granted patent. It is a strategic and relatively cost‑efficient alternative to judicial invalidity proceedings. From a strategic perspective, opposition proceedings are an essential part of your strategy to protect your innovations and claim your competitive position.
Opposition proceedings are filed at a European level before the European Patent Office (EPO) or internationally in a number of countries. On a Belgian level, invalidity proceedings are instituted immediately before a court.
The Unified Patent Court (or UPC), an international court with exclusive jurisdiction over infringement and validity matters relating to both unitary patents and classic European patents, was established in 2023 at a European level.
Do you want to institute opposition proceedings or are you facing opposition against your patent?
Patent opposition proceedings
Patent opposition proceedings are proceedings in which a third party challenges the validity of a granted patent. It is a strategic and relatively cost‑efficient alternative to judicial invalidity proceedings. From a strategic perspective, opposition proceedings are an essential part of your strategy to protect your innovations and claim your competitive position.
Opposition proceedings are filed at a European level before the European Patent Office (EPO) or internationally in a number of countries. On a Belgian level, invalidity proceedings are instituted immediately before a court.
The Unified Patent Court (or UPC), an international court with exclusive jurisdiction over infringement and validity matters relating to both unitary patents and classic European patents, was established in 2023 at a European level.
Do you want to institute opposition proceedings or are you facing opposition against your patent?
Trademark opposition
Opposition can also be filed against the registration of a trademark before the Benelux Office for Intellectual property (BBIE) or the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO)
Oryon’s trademark experts are here to support you to file the opposition, prepare arguments, negotiate a settlement or refer you to a specialised law firm in the event of a potential lawsuit.
Design opposition
There are no classic opposition proceedings for designs, but there are invalidity proceedings. Design protection is granted more readily, which means it is up to the opposing party to file a request for invalidity.
Need well‑considered advice on your intellectual property
Our experts are on hand to help.
News, client cases
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Clear answers to every IP question
How do I institute opposition proceedings?
The first step is to prove that the patent does not meet patentability requirements. For example, the invention is not novel or inventive or has not been disclosed with sufficient clarity. We do this through clear arguments, possibly supplemented by relevant prior art.
We subsequently institute opposition proceedings and represent you at oral hearings and during negotiations. Throughout the proceedings, we assess possible scenarios and provide strategic advice to secure a favourable outcome.
What if someone institutes opposition proceedings against my patent?
When opposition proceedings are instituted against your patent, we first analyse the arguments of the opposing party and attempt to disprove them. Depending on our analysis, we determine which actions we can take.
What is a unitary patent?
A unitary patent (official name: European patent with unitary effect) is a European patent which, once granted, provides a single, uniform protection across multiple EU Member States at the same time, through one single right. The system was introduced within the context of the European Patent Office and the Unified Patent Court.
What is the UPC?
The Unified Patent Court (UPC) is an international court with shared jurisdiction over European patents and the new unitary patent”. Its purpose is to provide a single, uniform judicial procedure for disputes concerning patents that are valid in several EU member states.