In the increasingly global modern economy, intellectual property (IP) is often a company’s greatest asset.  It is also the key for a company differentiating itself in a competitive market. Intellectual property law includes patents (inventions and designs), trademarks (words and symbols used to identify the source and quality of goods or services and to establish brands), copyrights (creative rights in works such as literature, photographs, images, and videos), and trade secrets and proprietary information (from business secrets and customer lists to the recipe for a secret sauce).  Helsell Fetterman’s attorneys can help you establish, protect, and sell or license your valuable intellectual property rights in order to achieve your business goals.

IP Practice Areas:

Patents

In 2013, the American Invents Act reshaped the playing field as far as patent law in the United States.  The U.S. is now a “first-to-file” country, thus it is essential to secure initial patent protection before seeking investment or selling products.  There are also a number of new tools that companies can use to challenge their competitor’s patent rights.  Helsell Fetterman attorneys have been at the cutting edge of helping clients obtain patents, protect their patent rights, and holding government agencies accountable for their actions affecting valuable patent rights.

Obtaining Patent Rights

• Patent Prosecution—e.g., obtaining patents from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and internationally
• Global Portfolio Management
• Design Patents
• Plant Patents
• International Patents

Protecting Patent Rights

• USPTO Ex Parte Patent Proceedings
• USPTO Inter Partes Review and Post Grant Review
• Patent infringement litigation in federal courts and the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC)
• Dispute resolution

Government and IP interface

• Helsell Fetterman’s attorneys have been at the cutting edge of using the federal laws that keep government agencies accountable, such as the Freedom of Information Act and the Administrative Procedure Act, to ensure the USPTO follows the law when making decisions that affect our clients’ valuable intellectual property rights.

Trademarks and Brand Protection

• Trademark clearance, registration, and protection
• Addressing trademark infringement and confusion
• Protecting trade secrets and proprietary information
• Litigation in federal and state courts and dispute resolution
• Trademark Trial Appeal Board (TTAB) proceedings
• Domain Name and Website Content Disputes
• International trademarks

Copyrights

Trade Secrets and Proprietary Information

IP Strategy

• Due Diligence
• Opinions and Counseling

IP Transactions and Agreements

IP Litigation

• Appellate practice and Federal Circuit
• Arbitration and ADR
• Copyright litigation
• Patent litigation in federal courts and before the U.S. International Trade Commission
• Trademark litigation in federal and state courts and before the Trademark Trial Appeal Board
• Trade secret litigation in federal and state courts
• Trials in federal and state courts and before the USITC