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„Who are we, where do we come from and where do we go?

An interpretation of these questions (and sometimes even the answers thereto) is offered by every philosophy, every religion and every worldview. Even such contradictory thinkers as St. Augustine and Jacques Monod would probably agree that a man is defined by where he comes from and where he goes. If the tendency to replicate in a certain structure is the essential attribute of life, then the essential attribute of a man may be to subject this replication to individual objectives. We are created as creating and we create. We form, maintain and transform the world in accordance with its inherent laws, but also with our ideas. Intellectual property is one of the legal reflections of this essential human characteristic.”

JUDr. Karel Čermák, Ph.D., LL.M.
managing partner

Specialises in providing legal advice and representing clients in the highly specialised field of Intellectual Property Law. We also provide advice and represent clients in the general areas of Commercial Law and Civil Law.

We are a law and patent office specialising in Intellectual Property Law. Our services are highly sought after particularly in this area, especially when industrial property law matters, such as Trade Marks and Patents. We also provide advice and representation in general Commercial Law and Civil Law matters.

Formally we are incorporated as a public commercial company of attorneys and we thus provide legal advice according to the Act no. 85/1996 Coll., on Attorneys, as amended. This means that the clients are assured that they will be provided with best available advice by qualified and registered practitioners, that their matters will be maintained confidential, and that we will not act against their interests.

We have a team of more than 40 experts in industrial property law, including more than 9 attorneys at law and five patent attorneys.

We have been active since 1990 and in that time we have acquired invaluable in-house knowledge that is not available to less specialised firms.

We have been awarded numerous domestic and international industry awards and we are recognised locally and internationally as one of the leading IP firms in the Czech Republic.

Our clients are local and international firms, often leaders in their respective fields, however, we regularly assist small and medium enterprises, start-ups. We act pro bono where this serves to assist the community.

We are also active in Slovakia.

What we do

We provide advice and representation in all areas of the law. We specialise in Intellectual Property Law.

In the specialist field of Industrial Property we carry out availability searches, we prosecute applications of patents, utility models, trade marks, designations of origin and geographical indications, semiconductor topographies, including the preparation of the necessary materials.

We directly represent clients before the Czech industrial Property Office, the Slovak Industrial Property Office, the European Patent Office in Munich and before the Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market (Trade Marks, Designs) in Alicante, as well as before the World Intellectual Property Office in Geneva. In other jurisdictions we cooperate with an established network of similarly specialised offices.

We assist clients in obtaining Industrial Property protection worldwide. We prepare strategies for obtaining industrial property protection, as well as estimates of budgets. We manage and maintain portfolios of existing industrial property rights.

We represent clients in disputes involving Industrial Property rights, especially in declaratory proceedings and invalidity proceedings before the Industrial Property Office.

In the Czech Republic and in Slovakia we also provide representation before the courts in cases of infringement of Intellectual Property and Industrial Property rights, in Unfair Competition matters, and in Civil and Commercial litigation.

Summary

– We represent clients before administrative courts and the Constitutional Court of the Czech and Slovak Republics;

– We represent clients before European courts and the European Court of Human Rights;

– We represent clients in administrative proceedings, before the Czech Competition Authority (UOHS) and before the Advertising Council (Rada pro reklamu);

– We represent clients before the courts in civil and commercial disputes;

– We draft and review Licence Agreements and other legal agreements;

– We provide legal opinions and memoranda.

Patents, Utility Models, Industrial Designs, Trade Marks, Designation of Origin and Geographical Indications, Semiconductor Topographies as well as Copyright and related rights, are all part of Intellectual Property Law. In a wider sense Unfair Competition and Trade Name protection can also be included.

With over 20 years of experience we have become one of the leaders in this highly specialised area of law in the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

We have advised and represented the leading international companies from fields as diverse as telecommunication, IT, pharmaceutical, manufacturing, chemical companies as well as banks. We regularly handle the most prominent IP litigation in patent and trademark matters, both in the Czech Republic and in Slovakia.

Intellectual Property Rights which are subject to registration with the Industrial Property Office, or a similar office abroad or internationally, are termed Industrial Property Rights.

Patents, Utility Models, Industrial Designs and Trademarks are prime examples.

We provide advice, assistance and representation in achieving legal protection and then maintain and enforce the rights once registered. We can prosecute complex applications for protection, maintain vast portfolios of rights, and then effectively enforce these in both the Czech Republic, Slovakia and internationally.

Technical solutions that are novel, have an industrial application, and their creation was preceded by specified levels of creative efforts, can qualify for protection via either a Patent or a Utility Model. To achieve such protection the technical innovation must be registered with the Czech Industrial Property Office, or a similar foreign or international body.

Our team of highly experienced patent attorneys assist in drafting applications, pursuing their registration through the relevant Office and then with the assistance of our attorneys at law enforce obtained rights if infringement occurs. Our experienced team of paralegals assist clients with administrative matters, such as filing simple applications, paying maintenance fees, registering licences and other formalities.

Brands are signs such as words, logos, symbols, pictures and other signs, which are used in trade to differentiate the goods of a particular business from those of another.

Legal protection for similar signs is provided primarily in the form of Trade Marks. Registered Trade Marks must be recorded with the Industrial Property Office, or an equivalent foreign or international institution. In certain circumstances unregistered signs can be protected by the law.

We have a dedicated team of paralegals and attorneys at law who assist clients all the way from the creation of a registerable brand, through the registration process all the way to the maintenance of the right once granted and its enforcement.

Designs (Industrial Designs in Czech) protect the aesthetic/outward appearance of a product or its part.

Registered designs must be recorded with the Czech Industrial Property Office, or the Office for Harmonisation In the Internal Market.

Unregistered designs can also achieve protection in certain circumstances.

Our patent attorneys assist in prosecution of applications for Czech Industrial Designs as well as for (European) Community Designs. Our attorneys then assist in enforcing these before the courts if required.

Unfair Competition is conduct in commercial competition or in commercial relations, which is in conflict with good morals of competition and is capable of causing harm to other competitors, consumers or other customers. Unfair competition is prohibited. Examples of prohibited conduct are misleading advertising, unauthorised use of trade signs – including unregistered trade marks, freeriding on the reputation of another, bribery, defamation of another competitor, or abuse of trade secrets.

This area of the law serves as a useful catch all area, serving to protects competitors from conduct that is not specifically/explicitly protected by the law, but which when judged objectively is harmful, undesirable and thus to be prohibited.

Unfair Competition disputes are handled by the civil courts, where our attorneys at law are able to provide expert advice and also represent our clients when the client feels that a competitor’s conduct has gone beyond what can be acceptable in trade.

In this area of the law we provide advice on commercial transactions generally, as well as handling due diligence activities during anticipated purchases of companies or other business operations.

We also prepare founding documents necessary to set up companies, and assist in the registration of newly-formed companies.

We provide representation in disputes between company officers and between companies.

We draft all types of contracts and other legal documents. We provide advice and represent clients in all legal disputes.

„Our legal service policy for more than a quarter of a century:

Foresight towards authorities in obtaining and registering rights.
Honesty towards contractual partners in transferring and exploiting rights.
Strictness towards infringers in defending and enforcing rights.”

JUDr. Karel Čermák sr., Dr. h.c.
senior partner

Awards and Industry Commendations

Law firm of the year 2021 in the category Intellectual Property
Law firm of the year 2020 in the category Intellectual Property
Law firm of the year 2017 in the category Intellectual Property
IP Law Firm of the Year 2014 in the Czech Republic
Law firm of the year 2011 in the field of Intellectual Property
Law firm of the year 2011 in the field of Information Technology
IP Law Firm of the Year 2012 in the Czech Republic
IP Law Firm of the Year 2011 in the Czech Republic
IP Law Firm of the Year 2010 in the Czech Republic

Links

We are a team of professionals and we specialize in intellectual property law.

JUDr. Karel Čermák, Ph.D., LL.M.
managing partner

JUDr. Karel Čermák sr., Dr. h.c.
senior partner († 19.6.2017)

JUDr. Věra Čermáková
partner († 3.6.2019)

JUDr. Andrea Kůs Považanová
partner

Petr Kusý, LL.B. (Hons.)
attornay-at-law

Mgr. Martin Holý
attornay-at-law

Mgr. Hana Havlíčková
attornay-at-law

Mgr. Karin Kusá
attornay-at-law

Mgr. Dominik Bajger
lawyer

Ing. Josef Plicka
Czech and European Patent Attorney

Ing. Karel Jůzl
Czech and European Patent Attorney

Ing. Zdeněk Sadovský
Czech and European Patent Attorney

Doc. Ing. Karel Čada, Ph.D.
Czech and European Patent Attorney

Mgr. Jana Kunertová
patent attorney, European trademark

Ing. Miluše Burkartová
office manager

Tomáš Kalousek
paralegal – trademark department – renewals

Zuzana Jůzlová
paralegal – patent department

Daniela Bartošová
paralegal – patent department

Contact us

adress

Čermák a spol.
Elišky Peškové 15
150 00 Praha 5
Česká republika

phone

(+420) 296 167 111
fax: (+420) 224 946 724

map location

Čermák a spol.

© 2024, Law and patent office Čermák a spol.

JUDr. Karel Čermák, Ph.D., LL.M.

managing partner

Born in 1973. He graduated from the Faculty of Law at the Charles University, Master’s Degree in 1996. From 1994-1995, he studied at the Universite de Provence in Aix-en-Provence, France. In 1996, he joined Čermák Hořejš Vrba (presently Čermák a spol.). In 1997, he practised with Gaedertz Rechtsanwälte in Cologne, Germany. He also practised in the law office of JUDr. Nykodym in Prague. In 1998, he obtained a Ph.D. from the Charles University. In 2000, he obtained an LL.M. from the European Academy of Legal Theory in Brussels. Since 2000, he is a partner in Čermák a spol. Main practice areas: intellectual property law, private international law, unfair competition, pharmaceuticals, trademarks, business law, mergers and acquisitions. He is the author of numerous publications and articles on intellectual property law, civil law and the theory of law, including “The Legal Aspects of Domain Names” (with R. Pelikanova), Linde, Prague 2000, “Handbuch für Wirtschaft und Recht in Osteuropa” (Gesellschaftsrecht, Vertragsrecht), C.H. Beck München, 2002, “Methodology of Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights I, II”, Prague 2007. He is a member of the Czech National Group of AIPPI.

Languages: Czech, English, German, French.

JUDr. Karel Čermák sr., Dr. h.c.

senior partner († 19.6.2017)

Born in 1934 († 19.6.2017). In 1959 graduated from the Faculty of Law at Charles University. From 1961–1990 attorney-at-law in the Legal Consultancy No. 1 in Prague. In 1990 became a senior partner in Čermák Hořejš Vrba (presently Čermák a spol.). Made president of the newly established Czech Bar Association after the adoption of the new Act on Advocacy in March 1990 until 1994, then vice-president and a member of its board of representatives. Became the first president of the unified Bar under the new Act on Advocacy of 1996. Re-elected in 1999 for a another 3 years. Arbitrator of the Arbitration Court with the Czech Chamber of Commerce and the Czech Chamber of Agriculture, of the Arbitration Court with the International Chamber of Commerce in Vienna and of the World Intellectual Property Organization Arbitration Center in Geneva. In 1994 obtained “The Award for Merits for the Republic of Austria“, granted by the President of the Republic of Austria. In September 2003 he was appointed the Minister of Justice of the Czech Republic. In June 2004 he resigned from this post and joined Čermák a spol. as a senior partner again. In 2005 he was awarded a title “Lawyer of the Year”. Main practice areas: intellectual property law and arbitration.

Languages: Czech, English, French, German.

JUDr. Věra Čermáková

partner († 3.6.2019)

Born in 1936 († 3.6.2019). In 1959 graduated from the Faculty of Law at Charles University. From 1961 she has been a junior lawyer at the Pardubice Law Firm. She specialized in the family, property and criminal law of juveniles. From 1963 attorney-at-law in the Legal Consultancy No. 2 in Prague. Between 2004 and 2014 attorney-at-law at Brož & Sokol. Since 2013 she has been an independent lawyer. In 2018 she joined the law firm Čermák a spol.

Languages: Czech, German, Russian.

JUDr. Andrea Kůs Považanová

partner

Born in 1974. She is a Slovak and Czech attorney-at-law. From 1993 – 1998, she studied at the Faculty of Law of Komensky University in Bratislava. She participated in expert traineeships with the Constitutional Court in Kosice (1997), the Council of Europe in Strasburg (1999), the International Institute for Public Administration in Paris (1999), and the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg (2002 – 2003). In 2001 she successfully defended the thesis ‘European Court of Human Rights in Strasburg and Procedure Before It’. From 1998 – 2002, she was the legal adviser of the Ministry of Justice of the Slovak Republic. Since 2003, she has been a legal assistant in the Law and Patent Office Čermák a spol. In 2005, she was admitted to the Bar not only in the Slovak Republic but also in the Czech Republic. She specializes mainly in industrial property law and civil law. Since 2010, she has been a partner at the Čermák a spol. law office.

Languages: Czech, Slovak, English, French.

Petr Kusý, LL.B. (Hons.)

advokát

Borin in 1980. Graduated from the Law Faculty of Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand. Was admitted as a barrister and solicitor of the High Court of New Zealand in 2006 and in 2007 was admitted to the Czech Bar Association as a practitioner of international and New Zealand law. Joined Čermák a spol. in the same year.

 At Čermák a spol. Petr handles all intellectual property matters ranging from copyright, through unfair competition and trademarks to designs and patents. He is capable of assisting in a variety of situations ranging from advising future rightholder on how best to structure and protect their intellectual property, through prosecution of applications, all the way to enforcement of rights against infringers. 

Petr, however, specialises in coordinating contentious matters and litigation, and has significant experience in handling complex patent disputes and litigation involving patents. In this field Petr has assisted in matters involving small and medium size manufacturers as well as the largest multinational pharmaceutical companies. Petr has been involved in disputes in the Czech Republic and in Slovakia.

Languages: Czech, English.

Mgr. Martin Holý

advokát

Born in 1978. Studied at the Faculty of Law at Charles University in Prague gaining a master’s degree in 2005. Began to work at the Legal Department of the Industrial Property Office of the Czech Republic, after two years left the IPO and joined Čermák a spol. as a legal trainee. Since 2009 works in the office as attorney-at-law. Main practice areas: intellectual property, namely trademark law, commercial law.

Languages: Czech, English, Spanish, Russian (passive knowledge).

Mgr. Hana Havlíčková

advokátka

Born in 1978. In 2000 she graduated from the Faculty of Law at Charles University in Prague, her master’s degree thesis was on “A Comparison of the Foster Care System in the Czech Republic and England.” In 2002 she joined Čermák a spol. as a legal trainee. Admitted to the Bar in 2006. Main practice areas: intellectual property, commercial law and litigation.

Languages: Czech, English.

Mgr. Karin Kusá

advokátka

Born in 1977. Graduated from the Law Faculty of the University of West Bohemia followed by internship at Steinhoff & Partner in West Rhine-Westphalia in Germany. In the Czech Republic she worked at Rödl & Partner in Prague until 2005 when she joined Čermák a spol. She was admitted as an attorney with the
Czech Bar Association in 2008. She specialises in intellectual property law, with particular emphasis on the law of trademarks, unfair competition and also in general commercial law.

Langauges: Czech, English, German, Greek (passive).

Mgr. Dominik Bajger

právník

Born in 1995 in Český Těšín. Graduated from the Law Faculty of Comenius University in Bratislava in 2019. During his studies, he completed his practice at Czechoslovak law firm in Bratislava. In 2019 he joined Čermák a spol. as a lawyer. He specializes in intellectual property law, with particular emphasis on the law of trademarks, unfair competition and also in general commercial law.

Languages: Czech, Slovak, Polish, English, French.

Ing. Josef Plicka

Český a evropský patentový zástupce

Born in 1944. Graduated from the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at the Czech Technical University (ČVUT) in Prague (1968). Obtained diploma at the Central Patent Institute (CIPK) in Moscow (1975). Attended the European Patent Office training course on substantive examination in Munich and The Hague (1991) and the FICPI EURO-SEAD patent drafting course in Palermo and Sorrento (2002). From 1968 worked as patent examiner and expert in methodical and international matters in the Patent Office in Prague. In 1989 selected by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) as consultant for expert mission on strengthening the industrial property system in Yemen, a project of the United Nations Development Program. In 1998 joined Čermák a spol. as patent attorney and later European patent attorney. Admitted to practice before the Czech Industrial Property Office (UPV), European Patent Office (EPO) and Office for Harmonization in the Internal Market (Trade Marks and Designs) (OHIM). Main practice areas: patents, industrial and intellectual property protection at home and abroad. He is president of the Czech National Section of FICPI.

Languages: Czech, English, Russian.

Ing. Karel Jůzl

Český a evropský patentový zástupce

Born in 1941. Graduated from the Technical University of Chemical Technology in Prague in 1963. Worked with the Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry of the Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences as a research worker in 1963-1967. From 1968-1990 he worked with the Industrial Property Office in various positions, mainly as an examiner and a member of the Litigation Department. In 1991 he became a patent attorney and joined Cermak a spol. as an in-house patent attorney. In 2002 he became a European Patent Attorney. He specializes in the administration of patent applications from the field of chemistry, especially chemistry of pharmaceuticals and adjoining problems, including biological processes and applications.

Languages: Czech, English, German.

Ing. Zdeněk Sadovský

Český a evropský patentový zástupce

Born in 1946. Graduated from the Faculty of Machinery at the CVUT in Prague in 1969. From 1969-1971 worked as a technologist at CKD. Between 1971-1990 worked as an examiner at the Office for Industrial Property. Worked for Čermák a spol. since 1991. Patent attorney for patents and trade marks since 1996. European patent attorney since 2002.

Languages: Czech, German, English.

Doc. Ing. Karel Čada, Ph.D.

Český a evropský patentový zástupce

Born in 1946. He graduated from the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at Czech Technical University in Prague (1964 – 1969), Faculty of Law at Charles University in Prague (1973 – 1978) and obtained Ph.D. at the University of Economics in Prague (2005 – 2009). He took part in the research fellowships at JAICA (Tokyo – Industrial property protection) in 1994, and within the framework of International Visitor Program (Washington – Intellectual Property Protection) in 2000. He led the Czech delegation at the diplomatic conference on the Protection of Industrial Property, the Administrative Board of the European Patent Organization (2002 – 2009) and the Office for Harmonization in the Internal Market (2004 – 2009). He worked at Teplotechna (1971 – 1990) as head of the patent department, Federal Office for Inventions and Industrial Property Office as a vice-president (1990 – 1998) and president (1999 – 2009). Currently he works for Čermák a spol. He is the author of several publications on protection of the industrial property. He gives lectures at the Metropolitan University in Prague and the University of Economics in Prague.

Languages: Czech, English.

Mgr. Jana Kunertová

patentový zástupce, evropský známkový zástupce

Currently on maternity leave

Ing. Miluše Burkartová

office manager

Born in 1974. In 1999 graduated from the Silesian University in Opava. From 2006 she has been an office manager at the Čermák a spol. law office.

Languages: Czech, English.

Tomáš Kalousek

referent – známkové oddělení – obnovy ochranných známek

Born in 1993. Graduated from the Secondary Agricultural School – Science Lyceum (2013). In 2017 joined Čermák a spol. as an assistant in trademark department. Since 2019 he has specialized in renewal of trademarks.

Languages: Czech, English.

Zuzana Jůzlová

referent – patentové oddělení

Born in 1965. In 1998 graduated from the Institute of Industrial Property Protection established by the Industrial Property Office. She began working at Čermák a spol. law office as a paralegal since 1991 .

Languages: Czech, English.

Daniela Bartošová

referent – patentové oddělení

Born in 1951. In 1970 graduated from the Grammar School and in 1974 graduated from Social Law school. She works at the law firm Čermák a spol. since 1997. She is currently working in the patent department and as assistant of Dr. Čermák sr.

Languages: Czech, German, English (passive).