Home / People / Dr. Katja Middelhoff
Portrait ofKatja Middelhoff

Dr. Katja Middelhoff

Counsel
Rechtsanwältin

CMS Hasche Sigle
Kranhaus 1
Im Zollhafen 18
50678 Cologne
Germany
Languages German, English

Katja specializes in the areas of trademark, design, copyright, and unfair competition law. She advises and represents her national and international clients in both non-contentious and contentious matters, including interim injunctions and litigation proceedings. Her activities also include strategic consulting, including the development of registration and protection strategies at national and international levels. Another focus of her work is advising on copyright issues and competition law matters (Unfair Commercial Practices Directive), with a particular emphasis on sustainability claims, 'green' claims, and the review of advertising concepts and marketing initiatives in general.

Prior to joining CMS in 2017, Katja worked in an IP boutique in Bremen. She has been a counsel since 2022.

Katja is a co-author of a renowned compendium for Intellectual Property Law, the Munich Attorney's Handbook Intellectual Property (Münchener Anwaltshandbuch Gewerblicher Rechtsschutz) and regularly publishes articles on IP law topics. In addition, she gives lectures at events, conducts workshops and hosts webinars on current topics from the IP field. Currently, she contributes articles on ESG topics to our blog.

more less

Memberships & Roles

  • German Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property (GRUR)
  • International Trademark Association (INTA)
  • German Bar Association (DAV)
more less

Publications

  • "Agentenmarke – Anforderungen an die Agenten- oder Vertretungsvereinbarung", Urteil des EuG in der Rechtssache T-145/22, GRUR-Prax 19/2023, p. 560
  • Round-up of European design law decisions 2020 and 2022, Journal of Intellectual Property Law & Practice, 2021, 2023 (Middelhoff/Hasselblatt/Zarm/Schneider)
  • "NFTs - facets of the phenomenon under trademark, copyright and personality law", IPRB 12/2022 (Middelhoff/Zarm)
  • Münchener Anwaltshandbuch Gewerblicher Rechtsschutz, 6th revised edition 2022, chapters 42 and 43, Design Law / International Design Law (Middelhoff/Zarm)
  • "Ranking und Kennzeichnungspflichten im neuen UWG" (§ 5b Abs. 2 UWG n.F.), IPRB 2022, p. 110-114 (Middelhoff/Schneider)
  • "Distinctive character of a service mark to be used on objects", ECJ judgment in case C-456/19, GRUR Prax 2020, p. 545
  • "Entfernte Ähnlichkeit zwischen „PINK LADY“ und „WILD PINK“", Judgment of the ECJ in Case T-164/17, GRUR-Prax 2018, p. 520
more less

Lectures list

  • “Industrial Design Protection: A Comparative Look at the Standards for Eligibility”, INTA Leadership meeting (panelist at the Design Rights Session), Houston, 17.11.2023
  • „Greenwashing – ein nachhaltiges Thema?“, Deutscher Anwaltstag, Berlin, 10.11.2023
  • „Nachhaltigkeit und Markenstrategie“, Der Markentag 2023, Koblenz, 29.09.2023
  • „Zur Einordnung von NFTs – urheber-, kennzeichen-, vertrags- und persönlichkeitsrechtliche Facetten des Phänomens“, AGEM Herbsttagung, Berlin, 11.11.2022
  • „NFTs und geistiges Eigentum“, Deutscher Anwaltstag (gemeinsame Veranstaltung AG Sportrecht und AGEM), Hamburg, 24.06.2022
more less

Education

  • 2017: PhD under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Dr. Dres. h.c. Säcker, Freie Universität Berlin; thesis on unfair competition law topic
  • 2011 - 2014: Research assistant at a commercial law firm in Berlin
  • 2009 - 2011: Trainee lawyer, including placements at the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation in Berlin, an IP boutique in Berlin and the German Chamber of Industry & Commerce in Shanghai
  • 2000 - 2008: Law studies at Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt Universität Berlin with a focus on German and European commercial law as well as unfair competition and competition law
more less

Feed

14/03/2024
EU Parliament positions itself in favor of a strong Green Claims Directive
March 2024
15/12/2023
Germany: New decision concerning CO2 positive and climate neutral production...
December 2023
06/11/2023
News in Sustainability Claims
Return to CMS Green Globe
05/09/2023
Current German case law on the term “climate neutral” (klimaneutral) and...
Climate neutral – or not? The delicate use of the term “climate neutral” in advertising.In ongoing debates in society, business, politics and science around the – extremely relevant – topic...