IT Law, the Law of Information Technology, has evolved over the past twenty years from the formerly more narrowly perceived fields of computer and software law. While the early focus rested rather on classical topics of civil law, the spectrum of IT law today has widened into many fields, not least due to the Internet. IT Law today encompasses not only contract law concerning IT systems and IT outsourcing, but also the law of electronic commerce, data protection, telecommunication and intangible assets.
Our attorneys are covering essential areas of IT Law, such as contracts for the assignment of software and software licensing agreements, the law of e-commerce, patenting of computer-implemented inventions and Internet law, in particular domain name law. Our law firm is a member of the pan-European IT LAW GROUP EUROPE, which has accompanied the development of IT Law since 1989. For four years, partner Dietrich Beier was the Chairman of this Association which is comprised of international experts of IT Law.
In this context, we are placing extra emphasis on software licensing law, where our firm is intensely involved in the counselling of German and international “big players” as well as “start up companies” that are developing software programs and internet platforms. German and European copyright law is showing a number of specific particularities in this field which is strongly influenced by the Anglo-American software licensing practice. Samples of software licensing contracts commented by authors of BARDEHLE PAGENBERG are to be found in the newly published 6th edition of the book "License Agreements", by Dr Jochen Pagenberg and Dietrich Beier.
