A file that began at the fair should not end with the fair.
Bringing disputes that began at the fair to a close: objection to the injunction, the main action, damages claims, and an offensive strategy built on evidence gathered at the fair.
The fair has closed; the deadlines are running
What happened on the day of the fair — the injunction enforced, the record drawn up, the counterfeit sample collected — opens a set of short procedural windows: the deadline to object, the pressure to bring the main action, the assessment of the evidence-preservation findings. Miss them and the loss at the fair becomes permanent; take them and the fair becomes the opening of a strong case.
On the defensive side
Objection (Widerspruch) to an injunction enforced against you, and pressure on the other side to bring the main action; and, if the injunction turns out to have been unjustified, a claim for damages covering the loss at the fair, the reputational harm and the costs. The record and the photographic documentation from the day of the fair are the evidentiary basis of that claim. We run the matter from İstanbul; representation before the German courts is carried by our partner firm activelaw through our Germany Desk.
On the offensive side
Against counterfeits identified at the fair: a chain of cease-and-desist notice, injunction and proceedings; the evidence-preservation findings are tied into the main action and the fair's findings are fed into the anti-counterfeiting programme. Where a distributorship dispute flares up at the fair, the goodwill compensation dimension is assessed as well.
The procedural anchors in Germany
All of this rests on two provisions of the German Code of Civil Procedure. Under §926 ZPO the enforced party can ask the court to set a deadline for the main action — the rights holder must then sue or lose the injunction. Under §945 ZPO, if the injunction proves unjustified, the enforced party has a claim for damages without any need to show fault; stand costs, lost orders and reputational expense at the fair are argued within it. On the Turkish side, findings from the fair feed claims under the Industrial Property Code (No 6769), and a German judgment still needs recognition before it bites in Türkiye. Whichever side you were on, the protective brief regime remains a low-cost way to shape the next round.
From the closing report to the outcome
The flow has four steps. The closing report: in the first days after the fair, the incidents, the minutes and the deadlines already running are gathered into a single document — which window closes when, and who decides. Choosing the route: the defensive options (objection, damages) and the offensive ones (formal notice, injunction, proceedings) are set out against a cost-and-outcome table. Carrying it out: pleadings are prepared in both countries at once, the preservation of evidence is tied into the substantive case through the evidence-preservation regime of the Code of Civil Procedure (No. 6100), and the German leg runs on ZPO practice. Concluding: the decision is carried through to recovery, and where recovery needs it, to cross-border enforcement. What you get: the incident file, the deadline calendar and a strategy note.
Who engages us, and what you receive
This service is engaged by exhibitors served or raided at a German fair, by rights holders who documented infringements at their stand, and by principals whose distributor conflict surfaced in the hall.
You receive a two-country deadline calendar, a consolidated evidence bundle (records, photographs, seizure inventories) and a settlement framework tested for enforceability. Where the fair exposed gaps on your own side — unregistered designs, missing customs applications — they are closed under the trade fair law focus before the next season.
We are by your side for Post-Fair Dispute Follow-Up
We start with a closing report on the fair: what happened, which deadlines are running, what the options are. The agreed route is then carried through with coordinated proceedings in both countries, recognition and enforcement, and collection. What the round teaches is fed back into the preparation analysis for the next fair.
Other Applications of This Service
Litigation — our other specialised solutions in this area.
Matter Connections
The focus areas, practice areas, desks and legislation connected with this sub-service.
Our Matters in This Service
The anonymised examples of our work that relate to this service.
Representation of a Turkish manufacturer in ICC arbitration
Strategy, case management and representation in a dispute arising from a cross-border supply contract.
Review the matter →Dispute · LitigationDebt recovery in a CMR carriage dispute
Managing the litigation and enforcement process in a compensation dispute arising from cross-border carriage.
Review the matter →Dispute · ReinstatementDefence management of a collective reinstatement dispute
Managing the serial reinstatement claims filed after a restructuring with a single defence strategy and a consistent evidence set.
Review the matter →The Team Delivering This Service
With our multilingual team of lawyers, well-versed in Turkish and German law, we are by your side.
Mehmet Köksal
Founder and Managing PartnerIstanbul · Berlin · KyreniaProfile →
Kübra Köksal-Yılmaz
PartnerBerlin · İstanbulProfile →
Herdem Belen
Of CounselİstanbulProfile →
Sven Köksal
Legal EngineerBerlin · İstanbulProfile →
Batuhan Halim
Of CounselKyreniaProfile →Related Publications
Fresh perspectives and guides from the Knowledge Centre.
If the action on the merits is not filed within the prescribed period, lifting the injunction and compensation come onto the agenda. We track this period and pursue the claim in time.
With stand costs, records of cancelled meetings, order projections, and minutes taken on the day of the fair. If the evidence framework is set up during the fair, the calculation is strong.
Yes, through recognition and enforcement proceedings; the conditions and time limits are assessed case by case. In the opposite direction, enforcing Turkish judgments in Germany is also possible.
Post-Fair Dispute Follow-Up — get the right legal support.
Let us identify the right solution together, drawing on our experience in Türkiye and the DACH region.