Related Practices

• Intellectual Property Protection
• Biotechnology and Life Sciences
• Global Intellectual Property
• Intellectual Property Assessment
• Patents & Trade Secrets
• Trademarks & Trade Dress
• Works of Authorship & Copyrights

Practice Team

The Intellectual Property Group of Fowler White Boggs has always provided global IP protection to clients of the Firm.  We have working relationships with firms worldwide, including firms in the TerraLex network and many other firms that specialize in obtaining and enforcing patents, trademarks, copyrights and trade secrets and know many of the attorneys personally.

We file international applications for patents under conventions and the Patent Cooperation Treaty.  An applicant may claim priority to a U.S. application if filed within one year of the earliest U.S. application priority date. 

We file for global protection for trademarks under conventions and within the Madrid Protocol. The Madrid Protocol limits the scope of the description to be the same as the description in the U.S. application and may allow worldwide cancellation by cancellation of only the U.S. registration.  Nevertheless, the reduced burden in obtaining and maintaining a global brand strategy using the Madrid Protocol system is attractive to many of our clients

Copyright registration at the Copyright Office and proper marking provides global protection for copyright owners.

Trade secrets must be protected from disclosure using measures reasonable to their value and customary within the specific industry in order to provide for remedies under state and federal laws.  Federal laws provide protections against computer hacking and international espionage, which may be used to combat the growing problems of international theft of trade secrets and other sensitive information.

Increasingly, global competition and opportunities in global markets require enterprises to think beyond geopolitical borders.  A global intellectual property (IP) of ideas and innovation, whether offering goods or services, multinational branding, licensing and franchising must be supported by a program of IP protection and enforcement.  Adopting a global perspective has helped many of our clients improve their prospects even in a tight domestic market. 

Examples:

• Real estate agents who recognize the value of foreign buyers and marketing fair better in a retrenching real estate market than those realtors who come late to marketing their services globally.
• U.S. manufacturers experience enhanced global sales volume as the relative value of the U.S. dollar makes their goods more attractive to Europe, Asia, Canada, and South America.
  
• U.S.companies with a global marketing brand and IP strategy are attractive targets for direct foreign investment and mergers and acquisitions.
• Globalization of commerce is a reality.  Global IP protection should be a priority for any company developing relationships with non-U.S. distributors, manufacturers and retailers.

Global protection, licensing and enforcement of IP assets add value to your business proposition.  Let the Board Certified Intellectual Property attorneys, Register Patent Attorneys and professional staff at Fowler White Boggs P.A. assist your company with development of global IP.