Over the past decade, Covington lawyers from each of the firm’s six offices have brought or supervised hundreds of civil and criminal copyright-related actions against thousands of infringers throughout the United States and in over 50 countries. These actions range from traditional litigation over substantially similar and counterfeit works to actions against Internet, satellite and broadcast pirates. Covington has also conceived and implemented copyright-based enforcement campaigns against distributors of gray market products and packaging. We generally deploy small teams of lawyers, utilizing the firm's expertise in copyright law along with its reservoir of knowledge in substantive areas such as new technology, software, sports, media and communications, and luxury goods.
As part of these various efforts, Covington has built and trained a far-reaching network of local counsel and investigators, and has also developed important relationships with public authorities worldwide including government officials, police, prosecutors, and customs authorities with responsibility for copyright enforcement. Covington lawyers have litigated copyright infringement cases in US district and appellate courts and have drafted and submitted amicus briefs on important copyright issues.
Representative Matters
- Representing a group of major textbook publishers in gray goods trademark and copyright litigation to prevent the illegal importation and sale of textbooks published abroad and not intended for sale in the United States.
- Various software publishers, including Microsoft and the Business Software Alliance, in supervising civil and criminal copyright and Internet anti-piracy enforcement actions in over 50 countries throughout the Americas, Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Enforcement campaigns have produced millions of dollars in settlements and tens of thousands of seized pirated copies.
- The National Football League in multiple federal court cases enjoining the unauthorized retransmission and public performance of NFL game telecasts across US borders via satellite and the Internet and within US borders where games are locally blacked-out.
- The Washington National Cathedral in a lawsuit enjoining a major movie studio from its unauthorized use of a Cathedral sculpture in a popular feature film.
- Zomba Recording Corporation and Zomba Music Publishing in numerous litigation matters, including claims regarding sound recording and musical copyright infringement, as well as claims concerning breaches of music publishing and music recording contracts.
- The Public Broadcasting Service in negotiations, administrative proceedings and litigation relating to the distribution of statutory copyright royalties by the United States Copyright Office.
- Parfums Givenchy in federal court litigation enjoining over 40 wholesalers and retailers from distributing gray market perfume products bearing copyrighted designs not authorized for importation into the United States.
Accolades
Covington's intellectual property attorneys have been recognized by:
- WORLDLeaders IP Awards, shortlisted in the worldwide category "Excellence in Domain Name Policy Implementation" (2008)
- The Best Lawyers in America (2007-2008).
- Chambers USA's - America's Leading Business Lawyers (2006-2008).
- PLC - Life Sciences, Which Lawyer? - One attorney recognized for Intellectual Property (2005-2008).
- European Legal 500, Intellectual Property (Belgium) - “…Covington & Burling has a successful IP regulatory practice, the firm also undertakes high-end litigation in the Belgian courts” (2005).
- Legal 500 EMEA (IP Brussels) - “…the firm is also active domestically, and is a good choice for litigation, particularly with respect to the enforcement of IP rights in new media.” (2006).
- Legal 500 (Commercial Litigation EU) - “Covington & Burling is ‘business-orientated and user-friendly’. The lawyers are ‘efficient and responsive’. Areas of expertise include complex commercial contracts, IP, life sciences, product liability, wrongful denials of insurance coverage and environmental torts.” (2005).
- European Legal Experts (2006).
- PLC Global Counsel 2006 - Global Counsel Magazine for “The Life Sciences Industry Super League”- ranked number one in the world, 23 Covington lawyers were recommended as leaders in their fields, including seven lawyers in Europe.
- WORLDleaders European Awards for “Best Achievement in Protecting IP on the Internet” (2005)
- One of our Covington partners is an Elected a Fellow and Vice Chair of the Complex Litigation Committee of the American College of Trial Lawyers.
- Another partner served as a United States District Court Judge for the District of Delaware for ten years presiding over 100 trials.
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