Intellectual property lawyers in Iceland
Intellectual Property & Copyright · in Icelandic: Hugverka- og höfundaréttur
Intellectual property law protects creative work, brands and inventions: copyright in texts, music, photos, films and software; trademarks; patents; and registered designs. It also covers licensing agreements and disputes when someone uses protected material without permission.
The legal framework
- Copyright Act No. 73/1972 (höfundalög): protection arises automatically and generally lasts 70 years after the author's death.
- Trademarks Act No. 45/1997 (lög um vörumerki): registered trademarks give an exclusive right in Iceland, renewable every ten years.
- Patents Act No. 17/1991 (einkaleyfalög): protection of inventions for up to 20 years.
- Design Act No. 46/2001: protection of the appearance of products.
Trademarks, patents and designs are registered with the Icelandic Intellectual Property Office (Hugverkastofan).
International protection
Iceland is a member of the European Patent Convention, so a European patent can be validated in Iceland, and of the Madrid system for international trademark registration. However, Iceland is not in the EU, so an EU trademark or EU design does not cover Iceland. Businesses expanding to Iceland often overlook this.
Infringement
If your rights are infringed, you can demand that the use stops, ask the court for an injunction, and claim compensation or a reasonable licence fee. Customs can also be asked to stop counterfeit goods at the border. Collect evidence early, with dates and screenshots, before material disappears.
Read more in protecting intellectual property in Iceland.
When to contact an IP lawyer
Get advice before launching a brand in Iceland, when you commission design, software or creative work and need clear ownership terms, when you license or sell rights, or when you discover someone copying your work or using a confusingly similar name. For data and IT contracts, see also data protection, IT and telecoms law.
Intellectual property lawyers listed in the directory
32 lawyers list Intellectual Property & Copyright as a practice area. Pick a letter above to filter the list.
Intellectual Property & Copyright lawyers at a glance
- Lawyers listed
- 32
- By region
- Capital Region (32)
- Supreme Court Attorney
- 16
- Attorney before the Court of Appeal
- 5
- District Court Attorney
- 11
- Work in English
- 28
- Often combined with
- Corporate & Company Law (23), Real Estate & Property Law (16), Data Protection, IT & Telecoms Law (16), Contract Law & Debt Collection (16)
Related areas of law
Many cases touch more than one field. The figures above show which practice areas lawyers in this field most often combine, and every area has its own page with an explanation and a list of lawyers.
You may also want to look at related practice areas: Criminal Law, Personal Injury & Compensation Law, Family & Inheritance Law, Child Protection Law, Real Estate & Property Law, Contract Law & Debt Collection.
General information based on Icelandic legislation and guidance from the relevant public authorities. It is not legal advice. Lawyer data: public register of the Icelandic Bar Association. How we compile the directory.