intellectual property
Our attorneys in the Intellectual Property Practice Group know how to identify intellectual property and they know how to protect it. In addition, since our clients present us with a wide range of issues to address, we can be flexible in fashioning fee structures based on the problem to be solved.
Our Intellectual Property Practice Group includes attorneys with wide-ranging experience and skills, including registered patent attorneys with specialized technical knowledge; trademark attorneys; litigators; and, lawyers who protect intellectual property through commercial transactions (licensing, joint development agreements, e-commerce strategies). Many of our attorneys have experience in all of these areas and therefore can help clients sort through the proposed mix of IP protections for their individual situations. Representative clients span a spectrum from universities to start-ups to multinational domestic and international businesses in industries such as mining, metallurgy, film coating, geospatial imagery, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, clean-tech, optics, non-destructive testing, electronics, robotics, computer software and hardware, restaurants, renewable energy, the equine industry, and agriculture. As our clients add intellectual property assets to their portfolios, our Intellectual Property Practice Group continues to thrive and grow.
Of course, protection may mean little without enforcement. And, owners of intellectual property are the ones who must enforce their rights. We have successfully enforced our clients’ intellectual property rights and have defended our clients against attacks from others. We have considerable experience in resolving intellectual property disputes through negotiation, mediation, settlement or arbitration. Our attorneys have successfully litigated significant intellectual property cases involving patent and copyright infringement; trade secret misappropriation; trade dress and trademark infringement; nondisclosure and non-competition agreements; computer hardware and software licenses; cyber piracy; domain names; software piracy; false advertising; e-commerce issues; commercial disputes over intellectual property; and unfair competition, patent misuse and patent-related antitrust allegations. The stakes in these cases often are high, and necessary legal action frequently involves requests for preliminary injunction or temporary restraining orders. We have both obtained such injunctive relief and successfully defended against actions seeking to restrain or enjoin our clients. We have the experience to respond swiftly and effectively in this environment, whether in asserting or defending against claims.
Patents We have one of the largest pharmaceutical and biotechnology patent practices in Arizona, with attorneys handling matters in such diverse areas as genomics, proteomics, immunology, microbiology, gene therapy, vaccine development, drug discovery platforms, medical devices, diagnostic kits, monoclonal antibodies, drug delivery systems, agriculture inventions, cosmetics, nutraceuticals, and methods for treating diseases such as cancer and diabetes. We also have considerable experience preparing and prosecuting patent applications in the areas of general mechanical and hydraulic powered machinery; optics; nuclear power systems; radiation detection systems; non-destructive testing systems; firearms; planar and linear sputtering apparatus; power supplies for sputter deposition and film coating systems; high pressure cutting and abrading systems; particle classifiers; sonic nozzle flow meters; ion mobility spectrometers; control systems; wireless networks; video games; solar systems, electronic entertainment devices; electronic motors, bicycles; fishing reels; chemical processes for extractive metallurgy; inorganic chemical compositions and processes; geospatial and radar imagery; geospatial positioning; path planning; stereovision systems; and business methods. Our registered patent attorneys have also prepared and prosecuted plant patents and design patents. In addition, we have significant experience, not only in prosecuting patents before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, but also in maintaining and protecting patent rights once a U.S. Patent has issued. As part of a strategy of worldwide protection, we understand the importance of and timing for obtaining foreign patent rights. We also manage the national and international patent portfolios for a number of clients. Trade Secrets In some cases, although an invention may be patentable, the client would prefer to protect it by maintaining it as a trade secret. Since a trade secret loses its value if it is no longer secret, we help clients develop strategies and policies to keep their trade secrets secret. Again, this is particularly important during periods of high employee turnover.
The U.S. Patent and Trademark (USPTO) Office identified through random audits that more than half of active registrations include some goods and services where a registered mark is not being used.
The U.S. Patent and Trade Office has again revised the examination guidelines for subject matter eligibility for patents under 35 USC § 101.
One of the first decisions the startup clients that we advise need to make is what to call their company.
Ray Harris was interviewed by KQTH 104.1 discussing the legal issues surrounding smart assistants in our homes.
Bruce Dahl, managing partner of the firm’s Denver office and chair of the firm’s intellectual property practice, has been recognized in Managing Intellectual Property’s IP Stars 2018/2019 Rankings.
Walk around Reno and you can feel a charge in the air.