Intellectual Property

Hutchinson, Black and Cook, LLC, maintains a thriving practice dedicated to helping our clients protect and capitalize upon the value of their investments in intellectual property assets.   Our attorneys have broad experience that has enabled us to develop a highly sophisticated practice addressing intellectual property issues in a variety of fields, including high technology, manufacturing, hospitality, entertainment,  scientific instruments, and service industries.  From applications for registration to licensing agreements to infringement litigation, we are prepared to assist in almost any area of intellectual property, including the following:

Registration of Trademarks and Copyrights
The process for achieving federal registration of a trademark, service mark or copyright is complex and often rewards inexperience with wasted funds and limited protection.  Our trademark attorneys have registered hundreds of marks and are intimately familiar with the procedures used by the United States Patent and Trademark Office and the United States Copyright Office, allowing greater efficiency and maximizing protections offered by trademark and copyright registration.  In addition, we have ample experience in coordinating international and foreign trademark registrations to provide trademark protection across international borders.

Licensing and other I.P. Transactions
Commercialization and exploitation of valuable intellectual property assets requires capable negotiation and carefully drafted agreements.  Our intellectual property attorneys are highly skilled at both, having negotiated and drafted scores of successful licenses, assignments, technology transfers, escrow agreements and service agreements.

Internet and Web Law
Our attorneys can provide sound advice regarding the many options for preventing and resolving conflicts in connection with domain names and other online property issues.  We have often resolved such issues for our clients through negotiation and dispute resolution, including under the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Uniform Dispute Resolution Policy.  When litigation is required, our attorneys provide sophisticated representation and are intimately familiar with relevant state and federal law such as the Anti-Cybersquatting Consumer Protection Act (ACCPA) and the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA).

Protection of Trade Secrets and Confidential Information
The value of proprietary intellectual property is often severely diminished if becomes public, and clients therefore often seek our guidance and expertise in implementing effective measures to prevent disclosure of such information.   Our firm is highly experienced at drafting and enforcing sophisticated agreements addressing such key concerns as confidentiality and nondisclosure, ownership of employee-developed intellectual property, and prevention of unfair solicitation and competition. 

Unfair Trade Practices and Litigation
Enforcement of rights in intellectual property is critical to maintaining such rights.  Our attorneys are skilled at negotiating resolutions to alleged infringements, and violations of agreements.  When such measures are not sufficient, our litigation attorneys offer the confidence of counsel with extensive business and intellectual property litigation experience, including trademark, copyright and patent infringement and unfair trade practice cases at the state and federal levels.