Intellectual Property Rights Counseling
Crowell & Moring LLP attorneys counsel clients on all aspects of intellectual property including protection, enforcement, and transfer of intellectual property. We frequently conduct mini-seminars and other training programs designed to assist our clients in implementing and managing their intellectual property programs, and to apprise them of significant developments in intellectual property disputes and control the substantial exposure that can result from willful violation of third-party patent and other intellectual property rights (e.g. treble damages and attorneys' fees). Some of the areas in which we frequently counsel our clients include:
- Analysis and advice regarding third-party patent and other intellectual property rights, including preparation of opinions on issues of patent validity, enforceability, and infringement
- patentability issues
- intellectual property portfolio management procedures, including invention record-keeping, intercompany invention reporting, patent incentive programs, and patent reviews
- proprietary information protection programs, including employee confidentiality and invention agreements, consulting agreements, trade secret protection practices and policies, employee exit procedures, and clean room design-around procedures
- trademark selection, maintenance, and enforcement, including trademark clearance, evaluation of third-party trademark rights, and trademark usage and maintenance programs
- protection of patent and data rights in connection with government contract procurement and performance
- patent and trademark licensing programs, including development of model licenses and implementation of quality control programs
- copyright maintenance, licensing, and enforcement in the publishing, communications, and software fields, including royalty structures and policing and avoiding copyright infringement