Businesses run on good ideas. At MPL Law Firm we help clients protect those ideas and other works through copyright, trademark, patent, and trade secret protection. Our York, Pennsylvania intellectual property business lawyers have safeguarded the rights and interests of businesses and individuals in various industries.
Trademark Prosecution and Licensing
Under the Federal Trademark Act/Lanham Act, a trademark prevents others from using certain words or symbols that identify a company or product. While you can protect your trademark without going through formal licensing, registration of your trademark through the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) can ensure further protection. Federal registration puts others on notice of your rights to the trademark and adds additional remedies against infringement.
Our Our Adams, York and Lancaster County, Pennsylvania trademark protection/prosecution attorneys help clients file comprehensive trademark applications with the USPTO. We also help clients obtain licenses to use another company's trademark through franchise licensing agreements or distributorship agreements. Finally, we prosecute trademark infringement for clients whose proprietary rights have been violated.
Copyright Licensing and Litigation
To protect an article, book, or other work of fixed expressive art, whether already published or later developed, you can register your work with the Library of Commerce's Copyright Office. Owners of copyrighted works have exclusive right to reproduce the work, prepare derivative works, distribute or sell copies of the work, or perform or display the works publicly. Software and digital media are also protected by the Copyright Act.
Our attorneys help clients ensure full protection of the law through copyright registration. We can also help you gain the right to possess or use the work of art through a copyright license.
Patent Rights and Licensing
Patents protect an inventor's right to his or her invention, excluding others from making, selling, or using the invention. Inventions can only be patented if they are novel (not previously patented or described in a publication, etc.) and non-obvious (not obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art). Our lawyers help clients apply for design patents, utility patents and plant patents.
Our attorneys do not handle patent litigation/prosecution. However, we help clients obtain a license to possess and use an invention, including helping employers acquire shop rights to an employee's invention.
Trade Secret Protection
Protecting a formula, drawing, compilation, program, or other piece of proprietary information involves more steps than the other forms of intellectual property licensing. We help clients protect their trade secrets under the Pennsylvania Uniform Trade Secrets Act by:
- Developing trade secret policies through nondisclosure agreements and employee handbooks
- Limiting access to trade secret materials
- Marking documents as "confidential" or "trade secret"
- Establishing control procedures for trade secret disclosure
Contact Our Adams, York and Lancaster County, Pennsylvania Trademark Protection/Prosecution Lawyers
Our business attorneys have developed a positive reputation among our clients for solution-based representation and knowledge in this area; a knowledge that allows us to assist our clients with IP rights. Contact our law firm to speak with us about trademarks, copyrights, patents, or trade secrets.
