Intellectual Property
- Our Intellectual Property practice covers contentious and non-contentious issues relating to trademarks, patents, trade secrets, copyright, industrial designs, passing off/unfair competition, plant varieties and integrated circuits. We work with clients to properly and cost-effectively register, secure, protect and enforce their IP rights in Greater China, Australia, New Zealand, Europe and globally. We act for some of the world's most well-known companies in relation to IP rights, as well as counsel government regulators and industry groups. Our work in this area, during the last 12 months, has involved:
- Representing a European national government on securing Geographical Indication protections for various geographically significant brands in China
- Advising a major multinational clothing brand on AI product software and device contracts
- Advising various industrials on automation product contracts
- Supporting significant US trademark infringement litigation with strategic actions in Singapore, China and Hong Kong
- Representing a major US life sciences MNC in relation to trademark litigation and registration in China
- Representing a major US machine tools company in intellectual property strategic structuring, as well as patent and trademark protection/litigation in Greater China
- Representing several plant breeders from the US, Europe and South America in relation to the securing of plant variety rights in China's SFA and MOA PVR Offices (and associated trademark registrations) for various new strawberry, grape, raspberry and blueberry varieties, including the management of DUS testing, liaison with growers and government agencies, and the handling of associated regulatory matters and patent litigation
- Representing a well-known US industrial congolmerate in unfair trade, antitrust and unfair competition litigation in Greater China
- Assisting Meta with the acquisition of strategic domain names in the Asia Pacific region
- Representing a major US luggage company in design patent and trademark litigation in Greater China
- Representing a major US garments company on trademark and copyright litigation in the Asia Pacific region
- Representing a US musical instruments icon in distribution agreement and intellectual property litigation in Asia
- Representing a major US entertainment and live events MNC in trademark infringement matters in Mainland China, Hong Kong SAR, Australia and New Zealand
- Assisting a major US microchip components producer with trademark security in China, Japan, Korea and India
- Advising an international sports goods entity in patent litigation in China, Australia and the US
- Representing a US virtual currency operation in arbitration proceedings in China and the Hong Kong SAR
- Advising a US nuclear devices and components MNC on IP protection strategies and implementation in China
- Advising a US sound technology entity on China and Asia IP and related issues with regards to a new voice room product
- Advising a major US industrial conglomerate on the acquisition of brands from adverse parties in China and Australia
- Advising an iconic US musical instrument and electronic devices MNC on IP protection strategies and implementation regarding new product line development and sales in China, Hong Kong, Australia and New Zealand - shape marks, sound marks and others in play
- Representing a New York based arts studio on China IP matters involving the NBA
- Representing a major US city government and its incorporated bodies on trademark litigation in China
- Representing a Hong Kong property and biotech company in trademark registration and litigation matters in China
- Representing a US healthcare and FMCG company in trademark and design patent matters in China, the Hong Kong SAR and Australia
- Advising an iconic US fashion house on IP protection strategies in China, and implementation of such strategies and litigation as required
- Representing various US based auto companies in China Customs IP protection matters, worth over US$150m in value
- Advising a US based chemicals company on restructuring of IP and technology holdings in China
- Representing various US plant variety rights holders in Plant Breeders Rights matters in Australia
- Representing MNCs involved in auto, electronics, garments, musical instruments, sports goods and renewable energy, with Customs IP protection matters in China
- Representing a Singaporean beverages company in securing trademark registrations in China and globally, as well as licensing and related commercial matters
- Representing a well-known Australian non-alcoholic beverages entity on securing protection for its key brands in China and the Hong Kong SAR
- Advising a US electronics company on patent registration matters in China, along with litigation and related enforcement actions
- Representing an iconic Australian wine lable in securing trademark registrations for its brands and labels in China
- Representing one of the world's most well-known energy drink companies in trademark litigation and enforcement in China
- Acting as arbitrator in over one hundred and eighty domain name cases involving parties such as Alibaba, CK Hutchison, PCCW, Infineon, Canaan, American Standard, Norton Rose, Harvard, Tencent, Marriott, Cheung Kong, and CLP
- Representing an Asia Pacific based handicapper technology company on intellectual property matters in China, including trademark registration
- Representing various US company patent owners in unauthorised technology use/patent litigation investigations, in the Asia Pacific region
- Assisting a US based fragrances company in the securing of intellectual property rights in China, and associated litigation
- Advising animation movie production companies on global moral rights issues and contractual issues
- Advising one of the US's oldest and most presitgious universities on trade secret protection and enforcement in Greater China
"Matthew Murphy of MMLC Group is based in Beijing where he advisesinternational clients on brand protection, trade mark infringement, and patents, with experience also in plant variety right applications. A client comments: "He is obviously highly skilled in relation to IP & TMT matters and is very reliable: he gets the job done, and can handlecomplicated legal and business matters for us. He gives great guidance."- Chambers & Partners 2019.
"IP boutique MMLC Group fields four partners in mainland China. Key clients include Apple Inc (which it advised on trade mark licensing issues with a Chinese partner), Gibson Guitar and Bacardi. Founding partner Matthew Murphy is recommended for anti-piracy and patent litigation, and is supported by Ellen Wang, Hong Mei and Yu Du." - Legal 500 2015.
"Matthew Murphy is the leading partner at boutique firm MMLC Group and is “outstanding at ensuring that his clients’ needs are always expertly served”. Trademark work is a significant part of his practice, which takes in domain name arbitration, anticounterfeiting and oppositions for a roster of multinational companies" - World Trademark Review/WTR1000.