Intellectual Property & Technology

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.

Main Contacts
What others are saying about us

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.

This comment was collected as part of the U.S. News — Best Lawyers® "Best Law Firms" research process. (2018-19)
See more related to Patent Prosecution & Protection
Client Alerts

Beat the Heat with These Five Patented Ideas

Patent attorney James Hayne take a look at five patents to help beat the heat!

by James Hayne September 21, 2023
Press Releases

Mandy Wilson Decker Elected Chair-Elect of New KBA Intellectual Property Law Section

LOUISVILLE, Ky.—Stites & Harbison, PLLC attorney Mandy Wilson Decker was elected as 2023-24 Chair-Elect of the newly-formed Kentucky Bar Association (KBA) Intellectual Property (IP) Law Section.

by Stites & Harbison, PLLC August 15, 2023
Press Releases

KYIPA Elects Mandy Wilson Decker Chair of Board of Advisors

LOUISVILLE, Ky.—Kentucky Intellectual Property Alliance (KYIPA) elects Stites & Harbison, PLLC attorney Mandy Wilson Decker as inaugural Chair of its Board of Advisors. She has served on the group’s Executive Advisory Committee since 2021.

by Stites & Harbison, PLLC August 15, 2023
Press Releases

Managing IP Selects Mandy Wilson Decker to 2023 “Top 250 Women in IP” List for Ninth Time

LOUISVILLE, Ky.—Managing Intellectual Property (Managing IP) magazine recently selected Stites & Harbison, PLLC attorney Mandy Wilson Decker to the 2023 edition of Managing IP’s “Top 250 Women in IP.” This is the ninth time Decker has been honored on this list, and she is the only attorney honored from Kentucky.

by Stites & Harbison, PLLC July 26, 2023
Press Releases

Managing IP Honors Stites & Harbison Attorneys on "IP Stars" 2023 list

LOUISVILLE, Ky. —Managing Intellectual Property (Managing IP) magazine has named nine Stites & Harbison, PLLC attorneys to the 2023 “IP Stars” list. Managing IP recognizes the most highly regarded intellectual property attorneys in the U.S.

by Stites & Harbison, PLLC July 25, 2023
Client Alerts

Supreme Court “Chews” VIP Products LLC’s Position, Unanimously Siding with Jack Daniel’s Properties, Inc.

Intellectual Property attorneys Alex MacKay and Mari-Elise Paul take a look at the recent decision by the U.S. Supreme Court in the Jack Daniel's Properties, Inc. v. VIP Products LLC case in this Stites & Harbison Client Alert.

by Alexandra MacKay and Mari-Elise Paul June 30, 2023
Client Alerts

Identifying Inventors is a Critical Step in Pursuing Patent Protection

Patent attorney David Nagle takes a look at patent protection for inventors in this Stites & Harbison client alert.

by David W. Nagle Jr. June 22, 2023
Client Alerts

The Enablement Challenge for Genus Claims Under U.S. Patent Law: How Much Disclosure Is Enough After Amgen v. Sanofi?

Patent attorney Nick Stewart takes a look at the enablement challenge for genus claims under U.S. Patent Law in this Stites & Harbison Client Alert.

by Gary N. Stewart (Nick) May 22, 2023
Client Alerts

Trademark Law Developments in the Metaverse

The Metaverse (or “Web 3.0”) provides varying levels of access to three-dimensional environments for various decentralized activities such as gaming, commerce, social media, dissemination of authenticated digital assets such as non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and cryptocurrency, and others. Participants can engage in any number of virtual reality activities and transactions with others at any conceivable virtual location, whether based in reality or in fantasy. Not surprisingly, trademark law has now reached the Metaverse.

by Patrick M. Torre May 03, 2023
Press Releases

Stites & Harbison Named to 2023 Top 10 Patent Firms in North America - South List

LOUISVILLE, Ky. —The Patent Lawyer Magazine has named Stites & Harbison, PLLC to the 2023 Top 10 Patent Firms and IP Practices in North America – South list. This is the firm’s second year being honored.

by Stites & Harbison, PLLC April 04, 2023
Client Alerts

IP vs. PR: Lessons From the Dungeons and Dragons Open Game License Controversy

Wizards of the Coast, LLC (“WOTC” or “Wizards”) and its parent company Hasbro, Inc. (“Hasbro”) recently found themselves facing unexpected backlash from their attempt to modify an existing license agreement which they had in place with content creators, the Open Game License (OGL), which allowed those creators to use game mechanics and other elements from the Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) table-top role playing game. IP attorney TJ Mihill takes a look at what's going on.

by Thomas J. Mihill (TJ) March 23, 2023
Client Alerts

Scammers are Now Impersonating the USPTO: What You Need to Know

Recently the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) issued a Notice pertaining to a recent development in fraudulent communications pertaining to U.S. Trademark registrations and registration applications. Scammers are and have been accessing publicly available Trademark information and directly contacting applicants/registrants.

by Patrick M. Torre March 06, 2023
Articles

An Applicant's Guide To USPTO's Examiner Incentive System

Incentives are powerful tools for driving behavior. On this topic, billionaire businessman Charlie Munger famously advised to "[n]ever, ever, think about something else when you should be thinking about the power of incentives." Because the pathway from patent application to granted patent depends heavily on the actions and judgments of the examiner assigned to the application, a patent applicant is well advised to consider the examiner's perspective and the incentives imposed by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office through the examiner production system, also referred to as the count system.

by Mandy Wilson Decker February 09, 2023
Press Releases

Stites & Harbison Promotes Seven Attorneys

LOUISVILLE, Ky.—Stites & Harbison, PLLC announced today that seven attorneys have been promoted: five to Member (Partner) and two to Counsel. The promotions are effective January 2023.

by Stites & Harbison, PLLC January 06, 2023
Client Alerts

The Twelve Days of I.P. Christmas

As we come to the end of the year, the members of the Intellectual Property and Technology group at Stites & Harbison took time to reflect upon some of the amazing things that have occurred in the world of Intellectual Property. In a light-hearted review of some of our favorite finds from 2022, please enjoy our own take on the classic carol, "The Twelve Days of Christmas."

by Joel T. Beres, Jeffrey A. Haeberlin, James Hayne, Thomas J. Mihill (TJ), Mari-Elise Paul, B. Aaron Schulman, Gary N. Stewart (Nick), and Patrick M. Torre December 14, 2022
Press Releases

Managing IP Honors James Hayne on 2022 "Rising Stars" List

LOUISVILLE, Ky.—Managing Intellectual Property (Managing IP) magazine has named Stites & Harbison, PLLC attorney James Hayne to its 2022 “Rising Stars” list.

by Stites & Harbison, PLLC October 11, 2022