Trademark registration, copyright, patents, trade secrets and IP litigation.
Filter by specialisation
Prominent Swiss firm with extensive English-language corporate and IP practice; active 2024-2025
Full-service law firm with bilingual English teams across Switzerland; active in corporate and real estate
Full-service law firm with significant English-language expertise in corporate and IP matters
Basel-based law firm with English-speaking team focusing on corporate and real estate matters
International law firm with Zurich office offering bilingual English corporate practice
Full-service Zurich law firm with experienced English-speaking lawyers in all practice areas
Boutique partnership firm offering specialized English-language corporate counsel services
Lausanne-based firm with English-language capabilities in corporate and real estate law
Major Swiss firm with strong English-language corporate and banking practice
Basel law firm offering English-language corporate and real estate legal services
Zurich boutique firm with English-speaking specialists in corporate and IP law
Tech-focused Zurich firm with strong English capabilities in corporate and startup law
Basel law firm with English-speaking team offering comprehensive legal services
Top-tier Swiss firm strong pharma & IP practice
Full-service firm with strong Basel presence pharma specialists
EU trademark registration (EUTM) covers all 27 EU member states in a single filing. For non-EU countries, separate national registrations or Madrid Protocol filings are needed.
EU trademarks typically take 4–6 months if unopposed. A lawyer can handle the filing, respond to office actions and monitor for infringement.
Browse our verified directory of law firms across Switzerland's major cities. All listed firms offer English-language legal services to expats and foreign nationals.
Find My Lawyer in 60 SecondsIGE/IPI (Institut für Geistiges Eigentum – Institute of Intellectual Property): Federal office administering patents, trademarks, designs, copyrights. Also hosts WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organization) headquarters in Geneva.
Marke (Trade Mark): Filing fee CHF 550 (1 class) + CHF 100 per additional class (Nice Classification). Registration 10 years (renewable indefinitely). Examination period ~4-6 months. Enforcement: injunction + damages for unauthorized use (unfair competition, Lauterkeitsgesetz art. 2).
Patent: Filing fee CHF 200; search/examination CHF 500-1,000. Grant: 20 years (patent term). Swiss patents rarely standalone (most file PCT – Patent Cooperation Treaty via WIPO, then designate national offices for EP/US/JP).
Urheberrecht (Copyright) under URG (Urheberrechtsgesetz): Automatic protection (no registration required). Duration: Life + 70 years post-author death (Berne Convention). Moral rights (attribution, integrity) separate from economic rights (reproduction, distribution, public performance).
Suisa / ProLitteris: Collecting societies. Suisa (music), ProLitteris (literature, visual art) manage licensing and royalty distribution. Performers, authors, publishers assign rights to societies; revenues distributed per usage (radio broadcasts, streaming, performances).
Herkunftsbezeichnung (Geographic Indications): Protected for wine (AOC – Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée), spirits (IGP – Indication Géographique Protégée), cheese (e.g., "Emmental" = specific region/process). International: Madrid System (WIPO) for trademark registration in 150+ countries (~CHF 1,000-2,000 filing + designation fees).
Case Study: Swiss watchmaker (Rolex competitor) disputes trade mark "Chronosphere" filed by German company in UK/EU. Rolex owns prior EU trade mark "Chronotime" (similar mark, same nice class 14 – watches). WIPO UDRP (Uniform Domain-Name Dispute-Resolution Policy) invoked for cybersquatting of "chronosphere.watches" domain by German entity. Swiss watchmaker claims dilution/confusion. UDRP panel decision: German company must transfer domain + cease use of confusingly similar mark. Costs: UDRP filing CHF 1,500; IGE/EU Trade Mark Office opposition CHF 300-500 each. Outcome: Precedent established; "Chronosphere" invalidated; domain transferred.
