Dirk Spacek is partner and in charge of the practice groups TMC and IP. He primarily deals with new business models arising in the media-, internet- and technology(IT)-sector, data protection and intellectual property law.

Dirk Spacek mainly advises clients from the media, technology, industry and financial services sectors on technology-related legal matters, in particular IT-contract law, outsourcing, data protection, Internet of Things (IoT), patent research and compatibility cooperations and traditional intellectual property law. Dirk conducts advisory, transactional and contentious work. He specialized early with a dissertation in intellectual property law on the subject of "Protection of TV Formats" ("Schutz von TV-Formaten") and was admitted to the Swiss bar in 2009. He then gained many years of experience in large, prestigious law firms and as an in-house lawyer during multiple in-house secondments.

As a member of the "Commercial" Practice Area Group, Dirk Spacek also advises clients on commercial law matters, e.g. drafting tailored licence, purchase, service and distribution agreements as well as terms and conditions for computer and internet-based business models and technology joint ventures.

Dirk Spacek regularly publishes on current issues in the TMC and IP field. He is co-chair of the Interactive Media and Entertainment Law Committee of ITechLaw Association where he is regularly present on an international level. Due to his earlier experiences as a musician in various music groups, he is also familiar with contracts from the entertainment industry and occasionally works on a pro bono basis.

Relevant experience

- Negotiation of multi-jurisdictional, global BPO outsourcing for a major international corporation, and splitting of the same set of agreements as part of subsequent restructuring with a total contract value of 200 million Euro.

- Negotiation of several large IT system integration contracts for a digital payment services provider (API technology).

- Handling a compatibility patent legal proceeding in the medical technology sector before the Zurich Commercial Court.

- Execution and coordination of nationwide copyright and trademark anti-piracy measures and legal proceedings for a foreign home electronics corporation.

- Advising on copyright and telecommunications law for a foreign broadcaster on internet-based re-transmission of radio programmes in Switzerland (streaming).

- Advising a global motor corporation on legally compliant implementation of SIM card-based infotainment offers in vehicles (M2M technology).

- Support of data protection compliance programmes in the context of the new European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Education

- Master of Laws (LL.M.) with focus „Corporate Media, Communications & Technology Policy (IP/IT)“ at Columbia University in New York (USA) (2012)

- Swiss Bar Admission Zürich (2009)

- PhD/Doctorate in intellectual property and media licensing law, Dr.iur., University of Zurich (2005)

- J.D. (lic.iur.), University of Zurich (2002)

Memberships

- International Technology Law Association (ITechLaw), Co-Chair Interactive Media and Entertainment Law Committee.

- Licensing Executive Society (LES).

- Institute for Intellectual Property Law (INGRES).

- German Society for Information Technology Law (DGRI).

- Swiss ICT-Association.

- International Association of Entertainment Lawyers (IAEL).

- Swiss and Zurich Bar Association.

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