Strategy

The first step in securing the proper intellectual property protection is to identify all the types of protection you may need.

• It may be obvious that you just need a trademark for your business name
• Other situations such as software development can be protected with both a patent and copyright, and there may be a need for a trademark as well
• Lawyers that specialize in this area of law help their clients develop the right intellectual property strategy

Registration

Once you know what sort of protection you need, lawyers can conduct searches for existing trademarks, copyrights or patents that might prevent you from registering your creation.

• If the search is clean, your lawyer can prepare and file all of the necessary paperwork
• During the approval process, lawyers will communicate with the government, answer their questions and provide supplemental information as needed
• Intellectual property registration can be very complex, especially when it comes to patents. By working with an experienced lawyer, you’ll rest easy knowing your protection will be enforceable

Negotiation and Litigation

Intellectual property lawyers can help pursue people that violate intellectual property rights or defend their clients if they've been accused of violating someone else's.

• awyers may engage in negotiations to get a violator to stop or to allow their client to make business changes and avoid trial
• If necessary, the lawyer will go to court to defend you if you’re accused of a violation
• Your lawyer can also seek an injunction and damages against businesses that violate your intellectual property rights