Intellectual property · Greece
Find an intellectual property lawyer in Greece for your dispute
Greek intellectual property disputes are decided by civil courts under codified statutes, so the lawyer you instruct shapes everything from the first letter to the closing submissions. Describe your matter once and we match you with a practitioner who handles that type of work. The service is free and carries no obligation.
- Free matching with a Greek intellectual property lawyer
- Practitioners verified as members of a Greek Bar Association
- One short form, no obligation to instruct
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Your situation
Intellectual property problems in Greece, matched to the right practitioner
If a brand name, a design, a piece of software or a creative work of yours is being copied, registered by someone else or used without permission in Greece, the first practical question is which lawyer to instruct. Greek civil justice follows the continental model: the framework is codified in statutes, and the Court of Cassation (Areios Pagos) reviews the legal correctness of decisions rather than the facts. That shapes how a case is built, what evidence matters and how long each step may take. Our role is simple: you describe the dispute in a few lines, we match you with an intellectual property lawyer in Greece whose practice covers your type of matter, and you decide whether to instruct them. The matching is free of charge and carries no obligation.
Greece in practice
How intellectual property matters are handled in Greece
Procedure decides how a claim about a right is framed, where it is heard and how long each step may take. The points below are the ones clients most often need before speaking to a lawyer, taken from official sources on the Greek legal system, the legal profession and the costs of proceedings.
Codified rules, not binding precedent
Greece is a civil-law jurisdiction: the Civil Code of 1946, now consolidated by Presidential Decree 456/1984, and the Code of Civil Procedure set out the framework, and the Constitution of 1975 ranks above ordinary statutes. Decisions of the Supreme Court (Areios Pagos) guide the uniform interpretation of the law, but they are not formally binding precedent, so a Greek lawyer argues from the statutes and the case law together.
Where such a claim is heard
Civil and commercial claims begin before the Courts of First Instance (Protodikeía), while the Magistrates’ Courts (Eirinodikeía) deal with smaller matters. Appeals go to the Courts of Appeal (Efeteía), and further review lies with the Areios Pagos, which examines legal correctness only, because there is no third instance on the facts. Proceedings, filings and hearings are conducted in Greek.
Who may act for you
Membership of a Bar Association is compulsory in order to practise law in Greece. Under Article 4 of Law 4194/2013, a lawyer acquires that status by passing the nationwide bar examinations, obtaining an appointment decision of the Minister of Justice published in the Government Gazette, taking the statutory oath and being entered in the register of a Bar Association. The Athens Bar Association alone has roughly 22,000 members.
Professional secrecy and ethics
The Code of Lawyers treats the practice of law as a non-commercial public function: the lawyer is a co-operator in the administration of justice, bound by legal professional secrecy, and subject to disciplinary control through the Bar Associations. For a client, this means that what you disclose in a confidential consultation about a contested right stays protected by professional privilege.
Costs and how they are fixed
Court fees are set by statute, and a proportional judicial stamp duty (dikastikó énsimo) is generally payable on the value of a civil claim, at 4 or 8 per mille depending on the type of claim, plus a 30% surcharge allocated to the TAXDIK fund. A lawyer’s fee is freely determined by written agreement; where there is no written agreement, the statutory scale applies. Fees carry 24% VAT.
Legal aid and clients from abroad
Free legal aid in civil and commercial cases is provided by Law 3226/2004, as amended. Low-income claimants whose annual family income does not exceed two thirds of the minimum annual personal income under the National General Collective Labour Agreement may qualify, as may EU citizens and lawfully resident third-country nationals; applicants with a disability of 67% or more qualify regardless of income.
Every country-specific statement on this page is drawn from official sources — the European e-Justice Portal, the Greek Ministry of Justice, the Athens Bar Association and Greek public authorities — consulted in 2025.
- European e-Justice Portal — National justice systems: Greece
- European e-Justice Portal — Costs of proceedings in Greece
- Athens Bar Association — The Bar Association and the legal profession
- Greek Ministry of Justice — Greek Civil Code (Astikós Kódikas)
- Greek Ministry of Labour — Termination of an open-ended employment contract
- Independent Authority for Public Revenue — Inheritance tax for Greeks abroad and non-residents
- Independent Authority for Public Revenue — Tax obligations arising from loss of life
Common difficulties
Why choosing a lawyer here takes longer than it should
The information you need is public, but it is scattered across codes, portals and professional registers.
You cannot tell which lawyer fits
Search results tend to rank firms by size rather than by the matter you actually have. Without knowing how Greek civil procedure works, it is hard to judge whether a lawyer has handled comparable disputes or works mainly in unrelated fields.
Deadlines run in years, not weeks
In Greece the general limitation period for civil claims is twenty years, while commercial, professional-fee and periodic claims are subject to five, and tort claims to five with an absolute ceiling of twenty. The classification of your claim decides which applies.
Costs feel unpredictable
Court fees, proportional judicial stamp duty, a 30% surcharge for the TAXDIK fund and 24% VAT on professional fees all enter the picture, and the total depends on how the claim is framed and on the written fee agreement you sign.
How we help
What you get from europeanlawyerfinder.com
A short, structured request instead of hours of searching — and a lawyer who already works in your field.
Matching built on practice area
We ask what your intellectual property matter is about and then match you with a Greek lawyer who works in that area, rather than forwarding your request to whoever advertises most.
The jurisdiction explained in advance
Before you speak to anyone, you can see how the Greek courts are structured, how fees are fixed and which limitation periods apply, so your first conversation starts from a level footing.
No cost and no pressure
Matching is free of charge. You decide whether to instruct the lawyer we suggest, to ask for another profile, or to stop there. We never bill you for the introduction.
Familiarity with cross-border clients
Many clients hold Greek rights or face a Greek counterparty from abroad. Our network includes lawyers accustomed to working with foreign companies, in Greek proceedings and in correspondence across borders.
Cross-border matters
Where else clients ask us about this practice area
Rights rarely stay inside one jurisdiction: a mark registered in one country, content published from another, a licence governed by a third. We also match clients with lawyers in the following European countries.
Questions
Intellectual property and Greek procedure: common questions
How do I find an intellectual property lawyer in Greece?
You describe your matter in a short form: what the right or asset is, what has happened and where. We match you with an intellectual property lawyer in Greece whose practice covers that type of work. Membership of a Bar Association is compulsory in order to practise in Greece, and the lawyer you retain represents you before the courts, authorities and public services.
Are decisions of the Greek Supreme Court binding on later cases?
No. Greece follows the continental civil-law model, in which codified statutes, and not binding judicial precedent, are the primary source of law. Decisions of the Supreme Court (Areios Pagos) ensure the uniform interpretation and application of the law and carry great authority, but they are not formally binding on other courts.
Which court hears an intellectual property dispute in Greece?
Civil and commercial claims begin before the Courts of First Instance (Protodikeía), while smaller matters go to the Magistrates’ Courts (Eirinodikeía). Appeals are heard by the Courts of Appeal (Efeteía). The Areios Pagos reviews only the legal correctness of those decisions, since there is no third instance on the facts. Proceedings are conducted in Greek.
What does it cost to bring a civil claim in Greece?
Court fees are set by statute, and a proportional judicial stamp duty of 4 or 8 per mille of the value of the claim is generally payable, with a 30% surcharge allocated to the TAXDIK fund. A lawyer’s fee is freely agreed in writing and carries 24% VAT; without a written agreement the statutory scale applies. Legal aid may be available under Law 3226/2004.
How long do I have to bring a civil claim in Greece?
It depends on how the claim is classified. The general limitation period for civil claims under the Greek Civil Code is 20 years, while commercial, professional-fee and periodic claims are subject to 5 years, and tort claims to 5 years with a 20-year absolute ceiling. Because classification decides the deadline, early advice is worthwhile.
Can a company based outside Greece instruct a lawyer here?
Yes. A Greek lawyer represents and defends clients before every court, authority and public service and provides legal advice and opinions. Membership of a Bar Association is compulsory in order to practise, and where a physical step is needed — for instance in a real-property transaction — the client may act through a lawyer holding a notarised special power of attorney.
Next step
Tell us about your Greek intellectual property matter
Send us a short description of your situation — the right involved, what the other side has done and any dates you have. We will match you with a lawyer who handles this type of work, and you take it from there. The matching is free and there is no obligation to instruct.