INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS

DC & Maryland Intellectual Property Lawyers Establishing & Protecting Intellectual Property Rights

DC & Maryland Intellectual property Lawyers have seen our region become part of the East Coast technology cluster and increasingly a hub for emerging industries, venture capital, tech start ups and early-stage companies engaged in bringing innovative ideas to market. These companies are based, in part, on the development of their own intellectual property in the form of software applications, techniques, discoveries, inventions, formulations and information technology services in areas such as bio-sciences, wireless industry, cyber security, health care, energy inovation, life sciences, gaming development, data storage, data organization, data mining, bio-metrics, analytics, and smartphone applications, defense and aerospace, pharmaceuticals. According to Inc., Baltimore City in particular, is poised to become a crucial part of that East Coast technology cluster given its “geographic positioning, educated talent, proximity to pork, and determined capital.”

Tech start ups and emerging businesses must take legal steps to establish and protect their intellectual property rights if they are to preserve the right profit from their hard work and invention. The Maryland & DC intellectual property lawyers at Cowie Law Group, P.C. establish and protect intellectual property rights for our clients. See blog post: “Protecting Intellectual Property Rights, Trade Secrets and Proprietary Business Information.” For example, our intellectual property attorneys assist business clients by negotiating restrictive use agreements with employees, tech professionals and teaming partners that protect, preserve and establish enforceable intellectual property rights. If these agreements are breached they can later be enforced with injunctions and monetary damage awards. Additionally, our intellectual property lawyers litigate infringement claims in DC & Maryland when necessary in order to establish and enforce legal rights and recover monetary damages.

Cowie Law Group’s intellectual property lawyers in DC & Maryland handle many complex legal issues relating to the protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights.

• Technology Development Agreements
• Technology Licensing Agreements
• Teaming Agreements (companies with complimentary technology join forces to bid on and pursue contract awards)
• Joint Research and Development Agreements
• Technology Investment Agreements
• Technology Transfer Agreements
• Non-Solicitation Agreements
• Non-Disclosure Agreements
• Non-Competition Agreements
• IT Service Agreements
• Intellectual Property Contracts
• Technology Partnership Agreements
• Technology Commercialization & Funding Agreements
• Technical Services Agreements
• Cooperative Research and Development Agreements
• Employment Agreements for Skilled Tech workers and Scientific Researchers
• Misappropriation or misuse of intellectual property, trade secrets and confidential business information
• Licensing disputes
• Unfair Trade Practices Litigation
• Tortious interference with contract and business relationships
• Restraining orders and injunctions for violation of non-competition agreements
•  injunctions and temporary restraining orders.
• Business and Commercial defamation and infringement claims
• Damages and Injunctive relief to prevent unlawful use of Intellectual Property or Likeness.
• Trade Secrets Litigation
• Trademark, Service Mark and Copyright Infringement
• Patent Disputes
• Business Torts, Unfair competition and Antitrust

Technology Partnership and Cooperation Agreements

According to Wikipedia: “In 2013 the United States Patent & Trademark Office approximated that the worth of intellectual property to the U.S. economy is more than US$5 trillion and creates employment for an estimated 18 million American people. The value of intellectual property is considered similarly high in other developed nations, such as those in the European Union.^[26] In the UK, IP has become a recognized asset class for use in pension-led funding and other types of business finance. However, in 2013, the UK Intellectual Property Office stated: ‘There are millions of intangible business assets whose value is either not being leveraged at all, or only being leveraged inadvertently.’ ”

Intellectual property attorneys can assist entrepreneurs, inventors, innovators and emerging tech companies with their business dealings by negotiating and creating agreements whereby they can interact with other intellectual property owners, governments, universities, institutions and investors to share, transfer, grant and exchange limited exclusive rights in their inventions, creative works, scientific research, skills, knowledge, technologies, and  manufacturing methods. These agreements protect intellectual property owners while promoting and funding progress, innovation and mutual financial benefit from the commercialization of emerging technological and scientific developments by converting them into new products, processes, applications, materials or services. Granting and sharing exclusive rights provides a financial incentive for the creation of an investment in intellectual property and associated costs of research and development, allowing owners of intellectual property to benefit from the property they have created.

 Misappropriation by Competitors, Former Employees and Contract Partners

Businesses have a right to protect themselves from the predatory and unlawful business practices of competitors, former employees and parties who breach their contracts. These practices can result in financial damages and lost business opportunities and require immediate action to prevent further loss. In addition to damages and/or injunctive relief, attorney’s fees may be recovered if provided for in a contractual agreement or under applicable law, such as the Maryland Uniform Trade Secrets Act. Many of our client have us prepare non-compete agreements with employees and competitors that can be enforced with injunctions and temporary restraining orders, and which provide for attorneys fees and litigation expenses in the event of a contractual breach. In other instances we defend former employees and their start-up business who face litigation from ex-employers and competitors. Contact the DC & Maryland intellectual property Lawyers and commercial litigation attorneys at Cowie Law Group for a consultation if you are considering litigating or negotiating a business / commercial dispute involving competitors and former employees engaged in unlawful trade practices.