Intellectual Property - Cranfill Sumner & Hartzog

Intellectual property is recognized as the most valuable asset of many of the world’s leading companies. When managed in harmony with your company’s business practices, your IP is the basis for market penetration, control and continuing profitability. In the digital age, it is also an asset with unbounded potential.

At Cranfill Sumner & Hartzog, we help our clients establish, acquire, and protect, as well as develop and implement strategies to manage and monetize their IP portfolios. Our intellectual property team is comprised of both transactional and trial attorneys who are capable of handling a broad range of intellectual property matters. We focus on:

• Patents
• Trademarks and Copyrights
• Internet and Domain Names
• Trade Secrets and Unfair Competition
• Promotions, Marketing and Advertising
• Privacy and Right of Publicity

Our attorneys are experienced in complex, high-stakes transactional and litigation matters and excel at understanding, and helping you understand, the interplay between your IP assets and your commercial success.

Our intellectual property practice group is a full-service provider of patent, trademark, copyright, online, business, advertising and privacy counseling and trial services. Our practice areas include:

PATENTS

Our patent attorneys provide a complete range of patent legal services, including acquisition, maintenance and enforcement of patent rights.  

Our services include:

• Global Patent Prosecution
• Due diligence and audits, including for mergers and acquisitions
• Freedom to operate opinions
• Patentability opinions
• Patent validity/invalidity opinions
• License agreements
• Strategic Competitive Counseling
• Patent Portfolio Management
• Patent Litigation

TRADEMARKS AND COPYRIGHTS

We can help you understand the full value of your trademark and copyright assets and how best to use and protect them. Leveraging the significant experience of our litigation and business disputes teams, our group provides expert service in business counseling, business transactions and strategic planning for a variety of intellectual property fields. We are well versed in helping clients determine the strength of trademarks or copyrights; clearing, registering and monitoring trademarks and copyrights; policing them through enforcement strategies aimed at solidifying and ensuring proper compensation for intellectual capital. Our transactional group is experienced in handling corporate transactions and negotiating favorable licenses.

If a dispute arises, we deliver swift and knowledgeable response strategies. Consistent with our reputation as a top litigation boutique, we provide first-tier litigation and trial services. Our attorneys are seasoned trial lawyers with vast experience and the composure to guide you through – and ultimately above – trying times.

At CSH, we can:

• Conduct domestic and international clearance searches
• File trademark and copyright applications and handle subsequent prosecution
• Supervise post-registration activities in the US and abroad
• Conduct trademark and copyright investigations and watches in US and abroad
• Counsel clients on protection and enforcement of trademarks and copyrights
• Draft license and assignment agreements
• Litigate trademark and copyright infringement cases
• Litigate IP contract disputes

INTERNET AND DOMAIN NAMES

The Internet changed the way we do business and experience entertainment, and now its influence is going mobile and becoming more socially interactive. Our Internet, e-commerce and technology practice has stayed on the cutting edge of this dynamic field. We can help you establish a digital presence, protect your existing space or help you make your move mobile or to the cloud.

At CSH, we can:

• Litigate Internet domain name infringement and cybersquatting disputes
• Anticipate, analyze and address changing legal issues related to mobile and digital advertising, outsourcing and business processing
• Assist with Metatag, keyword, linking, framing or spamming disputes
• Audit and draft privacy policies and terms of use or service
• Defend against source code copying
• Draft clickwrap, technology transfer and similar agreements
• Negotiate and litigate contract disputes
• Protect your creative work using tools provided by the Digital Millennium Copyright Act

TRADE SECRETS AND UNFAIR COMPETITION

At CSH, we understand that there are times when trademark, copyright or patent law are not the best tools to protect your intellectual property. Guarding trade secrets has long been an important part of IP protection and our lawyers have counseled numerous clients on implementing and maintaining strong trade secret protection programs.

At CSH, we can:

• Litigate trade secret disputes
• Implement trade secret protection programs
• Negotiate trade secret licensing and assignment agreements
• Draft confidentiality and employment agreements, and covenants not to compete

PROMOTIONS, MARKETING AND ADVERTISING

Safe advertising and marketing practices can generate buzz and give voice to your brand. However, unfair advertising practices can doom product launches or, worse, companies. Our attorneys can help you pinpoint strategies that will protect your company’s reputation and promote your brand strategically. And if a competitor ever steps over the line in making claims about its product or yours, or accuses you of doing so, we can help you.

At CSH, we can:

• Litigate federal court, state court, FTC and NAD cases
• Conduct advertising and marketing clearance reviews
• Prepare sweepstakes and promotions rules
• Oversee substantiation of product claims
• Evaluate marketing practices
• Draft agency and talent agreements

PRIVACY AND RIGHT of PUBLICITY

We have represented and counseled a broad range of prominent individuals and companies in rights of publicity and privacy matters, including litigating, negotiating and drafting agreement pertaining to these rights. If you believe your right of publicity or privacy has been adversely affected, or someone has accused you of doing the same, call us. We can help.