Protecting intellectual property (IP) is critical to the success of every large company. Gearhart Law helps New Jersey companies like yours handle complex IP considerations. Before you make decisions about trademarks, patents, or other types of IP, consult a lawyer who understands what your business needs to do to succeed.
If you manage the intellectual property of a large business in retail, banking, technology, or another industry, you must avoid making mistakes. Our law firm has been helping large companies in New Jersey handle IP considerations for decades. To learn more about what we can do for you, contact Gearhart Law today to schedule a consultation.
Common IP Considerations
New Jersey businesses often face the following IP considerations that an experienced intellectual property attorney can help with.
Registry Issues
Registering your IP is the first challenge you will face. When registering any type of IP, you should let an attorney:
- Research whether your IP matches an already registered IP
- File the paperwork for you
- Respond to any requests for additional information from the government
Typically, the biggest registry issue will be determining whether your IP is unique. The government will often spend months researching whether your IP infringes on any other registered IP.
Your lawyer can help speed up this process by carefully researching and proactively addressing any possible questions the government might have.
Registry Delays
The government agencies that process IP registrations may have backlogs or delays. Our attorneys will advise you of any delays and monitor the progress of your IP registration. While we may not be able to do much to lessen the delay, our lawyers will keep you informed of any changes in your application and let you know when it has been approved.
Managing an IP Portfolio
Large businesses may have hundreds or even thousands of registered trademarks, patents, and copyrights. With that much IP, you need a team of employees that manages that portfolio to make sure it is used effectively.
An experienced IP attorney will help your team manage that portfolio. For example, a lawyer can help you create contracts that license your IP responsibly while still limiting how it is used by licensing parties. Without that type of control, you could lose control of your company’s messaging.
Costs of Protecting Your IP
One of the biggest challenges of registering IP is that you need to protect it. The government won’t enforce your trademarks, patents, or copyrights if you do not try to protect them from abuse.
When setting up an IP plan, you need to determine how many resources you are willing to assign to protect your IP. Small businesses may assign IP protection duties to a single employee who also has other duties or may hire a business attorney to occasionally assist with IP protection.
A large business, though, needs more effective IP protection. Usually, this means that one or more employees in your IP management department should be dedicated to monitoring the use of your IP and ensuring it is not infringed upon. Your business also should be represented at all times by an experienced IP law attorney.
This means that the investment in creating and defending IP is much greater than what smaller businesses spend. However, that investment pays off when you prevent competitors from stealing your business by infringing on your IP.
IP Lawsuits
One of the most important times to be represented by an IP infringement lawyer is when you determine that another party has infringed on your IP. With any luck, your attorney will be able to resolve the situation and prevent future infringement with a cease and desist letter. But when that fails, you need to file a lawsuit.
Your lawyer will collect evidence of how the other party is infringing on your IP and how that infringement is causing harm. They will petition the court to prevent any future infringement while your case works its way through the legal system.
Many infringement cases will never see the inside of a courtroom. Typically, your attorney will negotiate a settlement that compensates you for any harm caused and prevents future infringements. However, when that is not possible, your lawyer will fight to protect your interests in front of a judge and jury.
Contact Gearhart Law in New Jersey Today
Every large business needs to put significant resources into creating, registering, and protecting intellectual property. When those resources are improperly allocated or mismanaged, a business is likely to face unfortunate complications that can cost money in the long run.
Contact Gearhart Law today to schedule a consultation with an attorney who can help you protect the IP of your large business.