Licences and Insolvency

It provides guidance to licensors, licensees, insolvency practitioners and their attorneys to promote a better understanding of the insolvency mechanisms in these countries and the effect that such proceedings may have upon licence agreements with an insolvent entity.

The number of insolvencies is increasing by the day, while insolvencies are becoming more and more complex and international. Licences represent an increasingly important part of a company’s assets - be they technology licences, name or trademark licences or licences with regard to text, photo or audiovisual material or software. While insolvency proceedings of licensors or licensees can pose material threats to the prospects of the business concerned, there are still many uncertainties as to the fate of a licence, applicable law, place of jurisdiction in such proceedings and so on.This practical handbook provides an overview of the most relevant legal issues in over 25 of the most important business nations around the globe. It provides guidance to licensors, licensees, insolvency practitioners and their attorneys to promote a better understanding of the insolvency mechanisms in these countries and the effect that such proceedings may have upon licence agreements with an insolvent entity.Whether you are an IP lawyer in private practice, an insolvency practitioner or general counsel in an international business, this commercially focused guide will provide you with practical insight into the relevant legal issues.

Preface 5Marcel WillemsKennedy Van der LaanMatthias NordmannUlrich ReberSKW SchwarzAustralia 7Christopher BrownLonsdale ChambersTimothy CreekRodney De BoosDavies Collison Cave LawAustria 19Axel AnderlFelix HörlsbergerDorda Brugger JordisBelgium 31Yves LendersAnnick Mottet HaugaardLydianCanada 45Craig J HillBorden Ladner Gervais LLPChina 51Brian SullivanYin ZhengyouW&H Law FirmDenmark 61Arly CarlquistCarsten CeutzBech-BruunEngland and Wales 71Peter ArmstrongRhys LlewellynHarbottle & Lewis LLPFinland 83Pekka JaatinenElina PesonenCastrén & Snellman Attorneys LtdFrance 91Amélie DorstAnja Droege GagnierBMH AVOCATSGermany 107Matthias NordmannUlrich ReberSKW SchwarzHong Kong 115Mark BedfordKevin LeeBoughton Peterson Yang Anderson in association with Zhong Lun Law FirmHungary 127Gusztáv BacherGabor FaludiDávid KerpelSzecskay Attorneys at LawIndia 137Rahul GoelSandeep Kumar GuptaAnu MongaNilesh SharmaDhir & Dhir AssociatesIreland 151Martin KelleherMason Hayes & CurranIsrael 163Yuval HornKeren KanirHorn & CoItaly 177Pietro MasiDavide PetrisPortolano Cavallo Studio LegaleJapan 187Shinnosuke FukuokaToshihide HaruyamaNishimura & AsahiMexico 201Gustavo A AlcocerOlivaresNetherlands 211Marcel WillemsKennedy Van der LaanRussia 219Yulia LitovtsevaValentina OrlovaPepeliaev GroupSouth Africa 235Hans KlopperIndependent AdvisorySpain 247Agustín BouJAUSASSweden 261Jennie KlingbergOdd SwartingSetterwallsSwitzerland 273David JennyChristian WyssVISCHER AGTurkey 285Orçun ÇetinkayaF Müjgan GüngörMerve KaradumanAsena A KeserGÜN & PARTNERSUnited States 295John W HolcombLynda Zadra-SymesKnobbe MartensAbout the authors 315