Intellectual Property

The 21st century business needs a solid legal plan to profit from its intellectual property locally, nationally and in foreign markets. Fortune 500 companies, and the local mom and pop operation, need a comprehensive plan to protect and enhance the revenue stream, which can be realized from its investments, trademarks, inventions and trade secrets. 

At Crain Caton & James, our intellectual property (IP) team includes seasoned attorneys, paralegals and analysts with diverse technical backgrounds capable of handling matters in a variety of areas such as:

• Oilfield equipment;
• Seismic imaging and processing;
• Measurement devices and sensors;
• Valves and seals;
• Marine systems;
• Architectural plans;
• HVAC;
• System process and design;
• Database design;
• Robotics;
• Telecommunications;
• E-Commerce;
• Energy;
• Construction;
• Tobacco; and
• Pharmaceutical.

Our IP team is tailored to anticipate and exceed our clients’ needs. In short, we strive to make every client feel like they are our only client.

Intellectual Property Litigation

Crain Caton & James has a proven record in successful litigation involving patents, copyrights, trade secrets and trademarks. The IP litigation team is designed on a case-by-case basis to include members of the firm that are technically and legally experienced with the issues in each case. Our IP litigation team therefore, includes attorneys that have handled patent, trademark, trade secret and copyright trials and appeals in federal and state courts involving “bet the company” litigation and matters involving injunctive relief on an emergency basis. In any situation, our goal is to win- efficiently.

Intellectual Property Prosecution

At Crain Caton & James, our IP prosecution team has prepared, presented and prosecuted numerous patent, trademark and copyright applications before the United States Patent and Trademark Office, the Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences and the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board. Our IP prosecution team therefore, includes attorneys licensed to practice before the United States Patent and Trademark Office and the Canadian Patent Office. Our IP prosecution team also pursues intellectual property rights, including patents and trademarks, through a network of foreign counsel intimately familiar with local practice in each country. In addition to the prosecution and litigation of intellectual property assets, our IP attorneys have prepared opinions for clients such as patentability opinions, trademark clearance opinions, infringement opinions, non-infringement opinions, invalidity opinions, title opinions, freedom to operate opinions and the like.

Transactional

At Crain Caton & James, our IP transactional team has handled a variety of transactions related to licensing patents, trademarks, trade secrets and copyrights on behalf of the licensor or the licensee. Additionally, our IP transactional team includes attorneys that are experienced with technology-driven mergers and acquisitions involving high-level due diligence of intellectual property assets. In addition to transactional matters, our IP attorneys have dealt with strategic portfolio management of intellectual property assets.