Abstract

Art. 87 § 1 of the Code of Civil Procedure does not provide a standalone basis to determine to what extent a patent agent may be a litigation attorney in civil proceedings. A conclusion that the agent may represent the client in unfair competition cases which involve also a claim concerning infringement of copyright illustrates the tendency to allow representation of the parties before the court in all industrial property cases within the meaning of the Act on patent agents. The term industrial property covers a broad and diversified group of rights to intangible goods to which the principle of cumulative protection applies, whereas the court is duty bound to verify whether the ad casum requested protection refers to any of the objects of industrial property.