Senior Associate
European Trade Mark Attorney
European Design Attorney
Board certified IP Lawyer / Fachanwalt für gewerblichen Rechtsschutz
Attorney at law / Volljurist (Ludwig-Maximilians University)
Oliver has specialised in intellectual property for more than 20 years, advising clients on the protection and exploitation of trade marks and design rights in Germany, the EU and worldwide. He is accredited to the Munich bar and licensed to practice before all German regional and higher regional courts, as well as the German Patent Office and the German Patent Court. He also helps companies to enforce their IP rights before the EUIPO and WIPO.
Oliver handles opposition proceedings against trade mark applications as well as defending new applications against oppositions and negotiating settlements. He handles trade mark infringement proceedings, including obtaining interim relief.
Oliver has particular expertise in unfair competition laws in Germany, such as in regard to misleading or comparative advertising, and he advises on interim proceedings and court action arising in such cases.
For new business ventures, Oliver provides consultancy regarding the clearance of new company names and domain names. He also defends the use of a company name against alleged infringement claims and he takes legal action against the users of infringing names.
In regard to design rights, Oliver provides strategic advice regarding the scope of protection for a new design, drafts design applications and handles the filing of designs in the EU and the extension of protection to other countries. He also acts in design infringement proceedings and interim proceedings before the ordinary courts in Germany.
A former lecturer in trade mark law at the Augsburg University of Applied Sciences, he has a broad appreciation of international business law and has been involved in border seizure for counterfeit products.
NewsEventsPodcast
Wed 28th Sep 2022
Page White Farrer trade mark attorneys attend PTMG’s 100th conference in PortugalEuropean trade mark attorneys James Cornish and Oliver Spies will be attending the autumn Pharmaceutical Trade Marks Group (PTMG) conference in Lisbon, Portugal from 5-8 October 2022.
Tue 24th May 2022
Protecting the name of your podcast with a trade markIf you manage or present a podcast and have spent time building up its reputation, you want to be assured that it is protected against someone starting a podcast with the same name.
Wed 27th Apr 2022
Brands, trade marks and intellectual property: Page White Farrer attorneys and INTA’s 2022 Annual MeetingTrade mark attorneys from Page White Farrer will be in Washington D.C. during the International Trademark Association’s 144th Annual Meeting which will take place 30 April – 4 May 2022.
Tue 13th Apr 2021
Unregistered design right after Brexit - First publication in the UK vs. first publication in the EU - Registered DesignsWhen the UK left the EU, new intellectual property rights and exclusions were created in the system of protection for designs. These changes mean that companies and designers have some important choices to make about where to disclose designs first; whether to register designs; and if so, where to register their designs first. Oliver Spies and David Roberts highlight the three key lessons for design owners.
Fri 25th Sep 2020
Brexit and IP – Implications for trade marks and registered designs (patents not affected)This is a brief note on the position concerning how EU-wide trade marks and EU-wide registered designs will be affected by Brexit from 1 January 2021. The advice below is applicable to trade marks and designs equally.
Please note the European Patent Office is not an EU institution and European patents and patent applications are not affected by Brexit.
This is a very important notice for the owners of EU-wide trade marks and designs. Please contact us if you have any questions.
Mon 27th Apr 2020
New invalidity proceedings for trademarks in Germany from 1 May 2020Invalidation is the legal procedure which allows anyone to try and remove a trade mark from a register and can relate to the entire registration, or only some of the goods or services covered by the trade mark. This is important if:
Tue 21st Apr 2020
COVID-19® trade marks – Really?Sometimes you expect something to happen, but it still surprises you when it does occur.
Mon 7th Oct 2019
Taryn Byrne and Oliver Spies attend autumn PTMG conference in BerlinEuropean trade mark attorneys Taryn Byrne and Oliver Spies recently attended the autumn Pharmaceutical Trade Marks Group conference in Berlin, Germany.
Wed 21st Aug 2019
„Gewerblicher Marken- und Rechtsschutz kostet, aber keinen zu haben kostet ein Vielfaches mehr.“Oliver Spies was interviewed on IP protection by Carsten Bolk of theUntold for the Stories4Brands online magazine, first published on 13 August 2019.
Mon 24th Jun 2019
New horizons through the highland haze… James Cornish and Oliver Spies get ready for the 38th ECTA Annual ConferenceOn 26 June, attorneys James Cornish and Oliver Spies will be attending the ECTA Conference in Edinburgh.
Fri 17th May 2019
Tackling Brexit and trade marks at the 141st INTA Annual Meeting in BostonFrom 18 to 22 May 2019, James Cornish, Oliver Spies and Taryn Byrne will be representing Page White and Farrer at the 2019 INTA Annual Meeting in Boston, Massachusetts.
Mon 1st Apr 2019
Attorney at law Oliver Spies strengthens our brand protection team in MunichWe are pleased to announce that Oliver Spies, an intellectual property expert and attorney at law, has joined our Munich office. With nearly twenty years’ experience in IP law, Oliver advises clients on the protection and exploitation of trade marks and design rights in Germany, the EU and worldwide, as well as unfair competition laws in Germany.
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