Patent Prosecution & Protection
Stites & Harbison's Intellectual Property and Technology (IPT) Group includes more than 20 attorneys, many of whom are Registered U.S. Patent Attorneys. We counsel clients on matters relating to domestic and international intellectual property issues, and assist them in securing domestic and international patent rights. From our Alexandria, Va. office location, our patent prosecution attorneys can easily visit the United States Patent & Trademark Office and advocate in person for our client's inventions.
Our clients include independent inventors, Internet and biotech start-ups, established brick-and-mortar businesses and universities.
Our patent prosecution lawyers have prosecuted patent applications covering a wide range of technologies, from simple mechanical devices to complex software packages, biotechnological inventions, and business methods.
The IPT Group not only prosecutes patent applications; we also assist clients in protecting existing patent rights, and in developing and implementing intellectual property protection plans. Our patent attorneys regularly issue validity, infringement, right-to-use, and patentability opinions. They also negotiate licenses and technology transfer agreements, and manage and conduct litigation to protect and enforce the patent rights.
No matter the office . . . I can expect to receive the same outstanding service and excellent work product from Stites & Harbison. They have personable attorneys and staff with a broad range of subject matter expertise.
Plant IP Protections in the U.S.
You have discovered a new plant variety. How do you protect your intellectual property (IP) rights in the U.S.? What are some of the available forms of protection, and what is the right form for you? IP attorney Wanli Wu takes a look at three options you may have for plant protection in this Stites & Harbison Client Alert.
Blueprints for Innovation: Intellectual Property in the Bluegrass State
Time: 3:00 p.m. - 5:45 p.m.
UK Gatton Student Center Ballroom 212A, 160 Avenue of Champions, Lexington, Kentucky 40508
IP attorney Mandy Wilson Decker will join a team of panelist for this event presented by UK Innovate, the Council for Innovation Promotion (C4IP) and the Kentucky Intellectual Property Alliance (KYIPA) on Tuesday, April 23rd at UK's Gatton Student Center in Ball Room 212A.
Intellectual Property Virtual Seminar
Time: 10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
Virtual Event
IP attorney Terry Wright will be a speaker at this virtual seminar presented by Marshall University Technology Transfer Office on April 21, 2025.
CAFC Affirms the Importance of Written Description in a Provisional Patent Application
On March 24, 2025, in In re Riggs, No. 22-1945, the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC) addressed when the filing date of a provisional application can be relied on under 35 U.S.C. § 102(e) to support a rejection of a later-filed application. This opinion offers clarity on the importance of written descriptions in provisional patent applications for Patent Owners as well as Petitioners seeking to challenge a patent in a post-grant proceeding. Senior Patent Agent Samantha Page takes a look a the opinion in this Stites & Harbison Client Alert.