The experience of our intellectual property attorneys enables our clients to protect and increase the value of their businesses through the strategic handling of their intellectual property and technology needs, and our working relationships with lawyers and consultants throughout the world enables us to coordinate our clients’ legal and regulatory needs in any foreign jurisdiction.
Our intellectual property attorneys actively participate on committees of the American Intellectual Property Law Association, the International Trademark Association, and Intellectual Property Sections of the Tennessee Bar Association, among others.
PATENTS
Our patent attorneys have significant experience in the prosecution of domestic and foreign patents in a wide variety of technologies, including electrical components, internet and software, mechanical devices, manufacturing processes, chemistry, and biotechnology. As part of Butler Snow’s Business group, the patent attorneys work closely with our clients to ensure that each patent provides a clear advantage over current and future competitors.
TRADEMARKS
Our trademark attorneys routinely handle large global portfolios for some of the most well-known brands. We help clients identify marks that should be part of their portfolio, and obtain registrations for them in the U.S. and abroad through our network of foreign colleagues. We also assist clients in identifying trademark infringers and in enforcing those rights where needed.
TRADE SECRET PROTECTION
We frequently handle trade dress and trade secret protection matters, working with clients to establish intellectual property protection protocols to uncover or prevent infringement. We help our clients find the right balance between patent and trade secret protection, and come up with strategies to give them the longest possible protection for their innovations.
LICENSING AGREEMENTS
We help clients exploit intellectual property through licensing agreements, joint ventures and other collaborative arrangements both domestically and internationally.
SOFTWARE AND TECHNOLOGY
Our attorneys are experienced in software and technology licensing, electronic commerce, domain name protection, software hosting agreements, multimedia issues, technology transfers and compliance with U.S. trade laws including export controls and practice before the International Trade Commission. We routinely help companies protect their software through copyright applications and are ready to assist in enforcement against infringers.
FRANCHISORS
We regularly counsel franchisors and assist them in complying with disclosure and registration requirements.
Highlights
- Butler Snow handles the trademark and patent portfolio for many universities and academic institutions, including prosecuting applications, monitoring for infringement, and enforcing intellectual property rights as needed. Our IP attorneys regularly practice before the United States Patent and Trademark Office and the Copyright Office.
- Butler Snow manages the U.S. and foreign trademark portfolio for an automotive parts and accessories retailer, including prosecuting applications and enforcing global trademark rights. As part of our enforcement strategy, we monitor domain registrations for cybersquatters, and we have successfully obtained judgments in our client’s favor using ICANN’s Uniform Domain-Name Dispute-Resolution Policy board.
- We assist in managing the global IP portfolio of a residential and commercial services company, which includes household name brands. We handle trademark applications and disputes in many countries and assist in protecting and their global IP asset.
- We helped a company with license agreements, IP litigation, and advise them in building their patent and trademark portfolios.
- We have helped a ceiling fan manufacturer with IP infringement issues. We also advise them in building their trademark portfolio and filing patent applications on new technology that they develop and in data protection.
