Every company has intellectual property and should take steps to protect it.

Many companies have patents on inventions – such as new products, new procedures, and new software. Valuable patent rights in inventions can be lost if patent applications are not filed promptly, due to a recent change in US patent law.

Most companies have trademark rights (often unregistered) in their names and the names of their products and services, and in symbols or phrases used on their products or to advertise their products and services. Registering these trademark rights is recommended to help maximize protection of them.

Most companies today have copyrights in their website and brochures used to advertize their business, in patient instruction booklets, in operating manuals and employee manuals, for example. Though copyright protection is now automatic in the US, registering copyrights makes it easier to enforce them and gives additional benefits and remedies in federal court.

Most companies have trade secrets – such as formulas for chemicals, procedures for conducting testing, customer or client lists, and methods of ensuring quality control. Often these trade secrets can be lost if employees of the company do not realize that they should be kept secret, or if they are not properly documented and the employee who develops them leaves the company.

We help our clients obtain patents on inventions, register trademarks, register copyrights, document and safeguard trade secrets, license intellectual property, litigate intellectual property disputes, and understand risks and opportunities when venturing into a new business area.

To receive an e-mail message with more information about how we can help you evaluate and protect your intellectual property, please e-mail us at mail@patents.gs or contact one of our patent attorneys.