We routinely counsel clients on how to protect their intellectual property and on strategies to develop complete intellectual property patent portfolios. We advise on the patentability of inventions, the availability of trademarks and service marks and on the availability and change of corporate identities; we prosecute applications for patent and applications to register trademarks, service marks and copyrights; we litigate intellectual property and unfair competition disputes in administrative agencies and state and federal courts; we draft employment and confidentiality agreements; and we assist in the transfer, taxation and licensing of intellectual property and technology, including transfers in mergers and acquisitions. The Intellectual Property Group has technical expertise in the areas of biology, biotechnology, business methods, chemistry and chemical engineering, computer software, e-commerce, electrical engineering, electronics, mechanical engineering, pharmaceuticals, pharmacology, textiles and many other fields of technology. Our affiliations with a myriad of foreign associate firms enable us to counsel clients on protecting their intellectual property throughout the world.
The Intellectual Property Group is well qualified to guide clients through the intricacies of not only the domestic but also the international patent, trademark and copyright systems. From the initial step of conducting a search of Patent and Trademark Office records to determining the patentability of inventions or the availability and registrability of a trademark or service mark, to the preparation of the necessary applications and the prosecution of those applications to conclusion, through the negotiation and consummation of license and assignment agreements, the attorneys in the Intellectual Property Group work closely our with clients to protect their intellectual property rights. As part of the individualized attention we provide our clients, attorneys in the Intellectual Property Group assist with the maintenance of patents, of trademark and service mark registrations, the monitoring of unauthorized patent, trademark and copyright usages and provide continuing counsel as to proper trademark usage and infringement avoidance.
The firm has substantial experience in litigating patent, trademark, copyright and unfair competition issues. In trying these cases, we frequently litigate related claims arising under federal and state laws. We have represented both owners and accused infringers in infringement cases and in unfair competition and trade secret litigation. We have also prosecuted and defended cases involving the enforceability of employee secrecy agreements and non-competition agreements. In the area of copyright, we are counsel to the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) and represent ASCAP and its members in all copyright infringement suits brought in Georgia.
One of the strengths of Smith, Gambrell & Russell, LLP is the ability to draw upon the expertise of all of the Firm’s various attorneys in order to respond to the particular needs of our clients. The Intellectual Property Group works closely with attorneys who practice in the firm’s International Section in drafting license agreements for the international use of technology and computer software, with attorneys in the Corporate Sections in drafting complex asset purchase agreements that involve assignment documents to transfer ownership and record title of patents, trademarks, service marks, copyrights, trade secrets and other proprietary information and with the members of the Anti-Trust and Trade Regulation Group on Intellectual Property litigation when such litigation involves antitrust issues. We look forward to working with you to give your business the increased value that high-quality intellectual property counsel can provide.
