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 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 attorneys 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 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.
Stites & Harbison is one of the Top Patent Firms in the nation named by Intellectual Property Today (March 2015 issue) with respect to the number of utility patents issued in 2014.
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.
Stites & Harbison Welcomes Abigail Clark
LOUISVILLE, Ky.—Stites & Harbison, PLLC welcomes attorney Abigail E. Clark to the firm’s Louisville, Ky., office.
Tech Transfer: Methods That Work, IIPCC Fall IP Experts Panel Series
Time: 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Join Mandy Wilson Decker in the third of this four-session webinar. Mandy will join a panel discussing tech transfer on October 6, 2020.
Protecting Your Business’s Intellectual Property
Time: 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
WEBINAR
Intellectual Property attorney Nick Stewart leads an in-depth discussion on protecting your IP and business's assets through patents, trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets in this online event on September 24, 2020.
Managing IP Selects Mandy Wilson Decker to 2020 “Top 250 Women in IP” List
LOUISVILLE, Ky.—Managing Intellectual Property magazine recently selected Stites & Harbison, PLLC attorney Mandy Wilson Decker to the 2020 edition of Managing Intellectual Property’s “Top 250 Women in IP.” This is the sixth time Decker has been honored on this list, and she is the only attorney honored from Kentucky.
Kentucky Engineering Law
Time: 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
WEBINAR
Intellectual Property attorney Nick Stewart will present at this Webinar for Kentucky Engineering Law on August 31, 2020.
Supreme Court Rules That Generic Terms + .com May Be Capable of Federal Trademark Registration
On June 30, 2020, the Supreme Court decided United States Patent and Trademark Office v. Booking.com B.V., Case No. 19-46, 589 U.S. ____ (June 30, 2020) held, with only one dissent, that it is possible for a domain name comprised of a generic term appended by “.com” to qualify for federal trademark registration.
Lucky Brand Gets Lucky Before the Supreme Court
On Wednesday, May 14, 2020, the United States Supreme Court unanimously held that the doctrine of defense preclusion does not apply in a case between two parties when the earlier case between the parties involved different marks and different conduct occurring at different times.
Managing IP Honors Stites & Harbison Attorneys on “IP Stars” 2020 List
LOUISVILLE, Ky.—Managing Intellectual Property magazine has named seven Stites & Harbison, PLLC attorneys to the 2020 “IP Stars” list. The publication recognizes the most highly regarded intellectual property attorneys in the U.S.
Chambers USA 2020 Honors 19 Stites & Harbison Attorneys
LOUISVILLE, Ky.—Chambers USA selected 19 Stites & Harbison, PLLC attorneys in Kentucky and Tennessee for inclusion in their 2020 guide.
Supreme Court Rules Proof of Willfulness Not a Precondition to Profits in Trademark Infringement Actions
On April 23, 2020, the United States Supreme Court resolved a circuit split and held that plaintiffs in Lanham Act trademark infringement cases do not need to show the defendant infringed willfully in order to recover the defendant’s profits.
Spring Cleaning for Your Intellectual Property
Time: 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.
WEBINAR
Attorneys John Scruton and Nick Stewart will discuss suggestions on how to make your business's IP portfolio even better in 2020.
More Relief for Trademark Owners from the PTO Deadlines During the Pandemic
The last Trademarkology post identified ways in which the United States Patent and Trademark Office (the “PTO”) is working to relieve brand owners from some of the burdens imposed by the current Coronavirus pandemic. Since then, the PTO has issued further means of granting relief.
Intellectual Property Offices Grant Relief to Applicants and Registrants During Coronavirus Pandemic
The United States Copyright Office (“Copyright Office”) and United States Patent and Trademark Office (“USPTO”) have taken steps to follow the CDC recommendations for slow the spread of COVID-19.
Coronavirus and Trademarks
As (hopefully) most of the country practices social distancing and extra conscientious hygiene techniques, somewhat less than most of the country may be curious about what this Coronavirus could possibly have to do with trademarks.
On Patents, Trademarks, and Descriptiveness
We have previously blogged about the intersection between patents and trademarks. In that post, we noted that if certain features are protected by a utility patent, that is strong evidence those features are functional and therefore ineligible for trade dress protection. But the content of patents can affect whether trademark protection is available in other ways as well.