Filing an infringement complaint and working with the authorities

Updated: 2026-08-28

Picks the right competent authority, prepares the complaint with its evidence bundle, and follows the matter to a decision.

Filing with the wrong authority costs time and a restart; jurisdiction depends on the act, the area, and the measure you want applied. The four routes page explains how to choose between civil, administrative, criminal and border measures.

• Who may perform this: Lawyer or industrial property representative
• Timeline: Dossier in 1–2 weeks; processing runs to the authority's own timeline
• How pricing works: Quoted by the measure pursued and the number of parties complained against.

Deliverables

• The complaint and its supporting evidence bundle
• Filing with the correct authority and liaison with the case officer
• Follow-up through to the enforcement decision

What you provide

• Evidence of infringement, stronger with a bailiff's record or expert conclusion
• Details of the party complained against

Contents

• The four enforcement routes
• Requests to handle infringement — where to file and what to include
• IP expert examination — when you need it and what it is for