Covington is unique among law firms in the depth and global breadth of our expertise in Internet enforcement, monitoring and notice and takedown. We have been devising and executing strategies to combat online piracy and fraud for nearly a decade on behalf of many of the world’s leading companies. Our innovative work in this area was recognized most recently when we won the award for “Best Achievement in Protecting IP on the Internet” at the 2005 WORLDleaders’ European IP Awards.
Covington’s Internet enforcement team includes attorneys experienced with the laws and the practical enforcement considerations applicable to dealing with Internet based crime on a global level. Unlike other law firms, however, we also have an in-house team of multi-lingual Internet investigators with years of experience in conducting online monitoring and investigations, gathering and preserving evidence, providing notice and takedown services, and supporting civil and criminal enforcement. In this effort, our investigators employ sophisticated online forensic tools and rely on a worldwide network of law enforcement and counsel, and contacts with close to 8,000 ISPs in 131 countries.
Our efforts in this area are not limited to addressing piracy online, but instead encompass a broad range of online fraud including spamming, phishing, and pharming.
Representative Matters
- On behalf of leading technology providers, including the Business Software Alliance, Microsoft and Adobe, Covington has devised and implemented highly effective notice and take-down campaigns, with a success rate of over 95%.
- Covington has assisted several leading financial institutions to detect phishing attacks, to identify their source, and to prevent their recurrence. As of March 2007, we had investigated over 8,600 phishing cases involving nearly 1,000 ISPs in over 70 countries ranging from Antigua to Venezuela, including in particular the United States, Russia and Asia. We have facilitated over 260 law enforcement cases in 25 countries.
- Three weeks before Microsoft’s release of its popular Halo2 game, the game was leaked onto the Internet. Working closely with Microsoft, Covington’s Internet investigators commenced round-the-clock, worldwide monitoring; utilizing our proprietary technology, forensic skills, and network of ISPs, law enforcement and counsels, we were able to significantly reduce the unauthorized distribution of the game before its official release date.
- Covington has worked with a group of major textbook publishers to effect the take down of Russian websites offering unauthorized eBooks of some of these publishers’ most prominent titles.
- In each of the three simultaneous worldwide Internet raids conducted in the past four years, Covington was contacted by leading law enforcement bodies before the raids took place and asked to assist with investigations. Covington provided pre-raid technical training on the nature of the criminal organizations, and supported the investigation post-raid.
Accolades
Covington's intellectual property attorneys have been recognized by:
- IP Law & Business - Laurie Self named one of "Top IP People Under 45" (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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