Nicole Maria Grüger
Attorney at Law
Specialist lawyer for intellectual property rights
Nicole Maria Grüger is the founder of the law firm GRÜGER IP. Shewas admitted to the bar in 1999 and since then has specialized in trademark, design and competition law, in particular in the field of counterfeiting. Before founding the law firm, she worked for over 10 years in the IP boutique Krings Rechtsanwälte, Cologne, and for another 10 years as a partner in the law firm TAXHET IP, Cologne.
For more than 24 years, she has advised and represented national and international companies both in and out of court in all areas of intellectual property law. Her expertise lies primarily in representing her clients in court proceedings for trademark and design infringements, product imitations and unfair competition. Furthermore, she advises and represents companies in the establishment of trademark protection through German, European and international trademarks as well as in their defense and enforcement.
2010 - 2023
TAXHET IP law firm for intellectual property rights, Cologne
1999 - 2010
Krings Rechtsanwälte, Cologne (law firm specializing in competition, trademark and trademark law)
1999
Assessor exam (OLG Cologne)
1997 - 1999
Legal clerkship at the OLG Cologne with stations at
- of the 31st Civil Chamber Cologne (special jurisdiction for unfair competition, trademark and design disputes)
- Oppenhoff & Rädler Attorneys at Law, Tax Consultants, Auditors (Cologne)
- Deloitte & Touche USA LLP Certified Public Accountants (New York, USA)
1997 - 1998
Trainee lawyer in part-time employment with Oppenhoff & Rädler Rechtsanwälte, Steuerberater, Wirtschaftsprüfer (Cologne)
1997
Legal trainee Eversheds Solicitors (Brussels, Belgium)
1996
Legal trainee Eversheds Solicitors (London, Great Britain)
1996
First state examination (Bonn)
1991 - 1996
Studied law at the Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-University (Bonn)
Publications
BeckOK Trademark Law, Kur/v. Bomhard/Albrecht, MarkenG, Verordnung über die Unionsmarke, 32nd edition 2023, beck-online - Verlag C.H. Beck oHG
Commentary on §§ 22, 29, 154 MarkenG and Art. 16, 22 - 24, 127 - 132, 135, 136 UMV
(updated quarterly)
GRUR-Prax 2024, 96 - Verlag C.H. Beck oHG
Comment on ECJ, judgment of 06.12.2023 - T-627/22 - VENICA/agricolavinica
"Importance of marketing conditions in the likelihood of confusion test"
Kur/v.Bomhard/Albrecht, Markengesetz, Verordnung über die Unionsmarke, 4th print edition 2023 - Verlag C.H. Beck oHG
Commentary on §§ 22, 29, 154 MarkenG and Art. 16, 22 - 24, 127 - 132, 135, 136 UMV
GRUR-Prax 2023, 7 - Verlag C.H. Beck oHG
Comment on ECJ, judgment of 17.11.2022 - C-147/20 - Novartis Pharma
"Permissibility of the parallel import of a medicinal product repackaged in a new outer packaging"
GRUR-Prax 2022, 98 - Verlag C.H. Beck oHG
Comment on OLG Dresden, decision of 27.10.2021 - 4 W 765/21 - Injunction obligation "Injunction prohibiting judgment effective upon pronouncement"
GRUR-Prax 2022, 79 - Verlag C.H. Beck oHG
Comment on ECJ, judgment of 13.10.2021 - T-591/20 - UNI-MAX
"Consumer divides "UNI-MAX" into individual elements "UNI" and "MAX""
MarkenR 2021, 311 - Carl Heymanns Verlag
"Protection against product imitations outside of registered property rights - Part 2";
MarkenR 2021, 244 - Carl Heymanns Verlag
"Protection against product imitations outside of registered property rights - Part 1";
GRUR-Prax 2021, 567 - Verlag C.H. Beck oHG
Comment on ECJ, judgment of 15.7.2021 - C-190/20 (reference for a preliminary ruling from the BGH),
- DocMorris/Apothekerkammer Nordrhein [competition advertising]
"Competition advertising for the entire range of prescription-only medicinal products for human use not harmonized in the context of mail order sales."
GRUR-Prax 2021, 353 - Verlag C.H. Beck oHG
Comment on BGH, judgment of 15.4.2021 - I ZR 134/20 (OLG Cologne),
"Fundstellenangabe bei Werbung mit unveränderter Abbildung eines Produkts und dort aufgedrucktem Testsiegel"
GRUR-Prax 2021, 157 - Verlag C.H. Beck oHG
Comment on OLG Schleswig, decision of 19.11.2020 - 6 W 15/20,
"Essentially identical violation of a prohibition to cease and desist in the event of non-fulfilment of information obligations"
Kur/v.Bomhard/Albrecht Markengesetz, Verordnung über die Unionsmarke, 3rd print edition 2020 - Verlag C.H. Beck oHG
Commentary on §§ 22, 29, 154 MarkenG and Art. 16, 22 - 24, 127 - 132, 135, 136 UMV
GRUR-Prax 2020, 531 - Verlag C.H. Beck oHG
Comment on ECJ, judgment of 1.10.2020 - C-649/18 (Cour d'appel de Paris)
"Advertising for services of online sales of medicinal products not harmonized."
GRUR-Prax 2020, 319 - Verlag C.H. Beck oHG
Comment on OLG Frankfurt a. M., decision of 21.4.2020 - 6 W 41/20
"Indication of business name as 'name of the manufacturer'"
GRUR-Prax 2019, 167 - Verlag C.H. Beck oHG
Comment on Regional Court Frankfurt a.M., default judgment of 28.1.2019 - 2-06 O 169/17
"Free riding by borrowing from well-known brand series"
GRUR-Prax 2019, 52 - Verlag C.H. Beck oHG
Comment on Regional Court Frankfurt a.M., judgment of 26.9.2018 - 6 U 49/18
"Subsequent loss of the origin-referencing function of a feature as a result of permitted third-party use"
Kur/v.Bomhard/Albrecht, Markengesetz, Verordnung über die Unionsmarke, 2nd print edition 2018 - Verlag C.H. Beck oHG
Commentary on §§ 22, 29, 154 MarkenG and Art. 16, 22 - 24, 127 - 132, 135, 136 UMV
GRUR-Prax 2018, 120 - Verlag C.H. Beck oHG
Comment on BGH, judgment of 9.11.2017 - I ZR 110/16 (OLG Munich) - form-strip II
"Plea of an earlier right despite new version of ARt. 127 III UMV"
GRUR-Prax 2018, 65 - Verlag C.H. Beck oHG
"Multi-state infringements: landmark decision of the ECJ in 'Nintendo / Big Ben'"
GRUR-Prax 2017, 455 - Verlag C.H. Beck oHG
"Intermediate rights as a defense in infringement proceedings before EU trademark courts, Art. 16 EUTMR"
GRUR-Prax 2017, 246 - Verlag C.H. Beck oHG
"Suspension of infringement actions before EU trademark courts"
Kur/v.Bomhard/Albrecht Markengesetz, Verordnung über die Unionsmarke, 1st print edition 2016 - Verlag C.H. Beck oHG
Commentary on Sections 29, 154 MarkenG and Articles 16, 22 - 24, 127 - 132, 135, 136
UMVBeckOK Trademark Law, Kur/v. Bomhard/Albrecht, MarkenG, Regulation on the European Union Trade Mark, 1st edition 2016,
beck-online - Verlag C.H. Beck oHG
Commentary on Sections 29, 154 MarkenG and Articles 19 - 21, 99 - 104, 107, 109 CTMR (updated quarterly)
GRUR-Prax 2013, 347 - Verlag C.H. Beck oHG
Comment on OLG Cologne, final judgment of 26.04.2013 - 6 U 171/11 (LG Cologne) - Bigfoot II
"Labor costs for copycat products deductible from infringer's profits"
GRUR-Prax 2012, 466 - Verlag C.H. Beck oHG
Comment on OLG Naumburg, judgment of 24.05.2012 - 9 U 218/11 (Hs)
"Insurance agent may agree independent remuneration for brokering a net policy";
GRUR-Prax 2011, 250 - Verlag C.H. Beck oHG
Comment on OLG Cologne, judgment of 23.02.2011 - 6 U 159/10, final (LG Cologne)
"Test seal of Stiftung Warentest is not a quality mark"
GRUR 2006, 536 - Verlag C.H. Beck oHG
"Catwalk - Synonym for a higher liquidation of damages?"
Memberships
German Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property (GRUR e.V.)
German Bar Association (DAV)
Cologne Bar Association (KAV)
Founding member of the Industrial Property Committee of the Cologne Bar Association
Languages
German, English, French
