Intellectual property is a complicated area of the law and one that is designed to protect people that create, invent or develop something that is new, innovative or original. This protects Chicago artists, entrepreneurs, businesses and individuals who have a unique concept, a trade secret or a proprietary process that they wish to keep secret..
The Basics
For many businesses, an intellectual property attorney will assist with copyrights and patents to protect those new and innovative ideas, creations, works of art or trade secrets. Unfortunately, even with these in place, there are still companies or individuals that may attempt to steal or obtain information that is protected with these patents and copyrights.
Another common infringement of intellectual property is the use of logos or company trademarks. This is done to convince consumers they are working with or buying from a recognized, reputable company when really the company is a completely different entity.
The Importance of Legal Help
With most patents, copyrights, trademarks and trade secrets having an intellectual property attorney not only assist with protecting those interests but also to help you to ensure there is no unfair competition in trying to obtain legal protection for your process, idea or invention.
Failing to have an attorney in place can not only result in delays in protecting your intellectual property, but it may end up in problems with patenting, trademarking or copyrighting your materials. The company using your IP materials may actually apply for a patent, trademark or copyright before you do, which then creates even more of a challenge.
Patent Trolls
There are also an increasing number of cases that include patent trolls. These are people or companies that buy up patents without any attempt to actually market or use the item, but just to start lawsuits against companies that are using similar products that may appear to violate the patent.
Often, the company simply receives a demand letter in the mail that requires an excessive payment for use of the patented item, which can be significant. As these are often filed in specific states, Texas being a common district for patent filings, it can be very costly to try to litigate the issues.
Having an experienced and specialized intellectual property attorney to represent your Chicago business can be very effective in resolving the issue. If you have any concerns about IP filings, or if you have a pending IP lawsuit, talk to an attorney and get the legal advice you need to protect yourself, your business and your future income.
