Parallel imports

It is often commercially imperative for a trade mark owner to control where his goods are sold and by whom. If a trade mark owner has granted an exclusive licence to a particular licensee in a particular territory, both the trade mark owner and the licensee may suffer if unofficial "parallel imports" are imported into the territory.

We advise trade mark owners, licensees and those who import and export goods on the issues surrounding parallel imports.

We advise on the impact of competition law in the area of parallel imports. This is particularly important given the severe commercial and financial consequences that can result from a breach of competition law in this area.

Work experience/case studies:

• Advising a leading exclusive European distributor on problems with parallel imports of food supplements.