Intellectual Property, Licensing, & Trademark Lawyers in Chicago

Intellectual property laws deal with creative works, inventions, designs, and anything else that constitutes the product of mental labor. It protects the rights that people and companies have to their own work and is therefore highly important to business owners and individual artists alike. It is vital to know the laws governing the ownership, distribution, and proper use of intellectual property and to follow the proper avenues when securing those rights. Hart David Carson can help you on your way to protecting your intellectual property with our legal advising services.

Intellectual Property Laws

Laws governing the creation, use, and distribution of intellectual property incorporate patents, copyrights, and trademarks. Each of these areas protects a different type of intellectual property from misuse. Protecting them is important since they represent a large investment on your part and afford you a distinguishable place in the market.

• Patents: A patent is a document that protects an invention and allows owners the right to exclude others from producing, using, or selling it without their permission. It is granted through a long application process and lasts 20 years.
• Copyright: Copyright laws protect the expression of ideas through various media, including books, music, paintings, drawings, movies, computer programs, and so forth. Currently, the copyright on a work lasts the lifetime of the author plus 50 years. While it is not necessary to register a work for the copyright to exist, doing so enables you to obtain certain legal remedies if someone infringes upon it.
• Trademark: Designs, symbols, words, sounds, and phrases a company uses in its branding become trademarks either through registration with the federal government or through actual use. Registration allows for certain benefits since it provides conclusive evidence that you own the mark.

Keeping these rights well-guarded is vital to protecting your brand, inventions, and other intellectual property. To keep these as secure as possible, it is important to follow the right procedures of registration. Help from an attorney can provide you the insight and guidance you need when navigating these complex procedures.

Licensing Agreements

One way in which trademarks, copyrights, and patents are protected is through licensing agreements, which can become necessary if you are looking into franchising or distribution of copyrighted material. A licensing agreement is, in essence, a contract between you and consumers of your work that authorizes them to use it if they meet certain conditions.

Protecting Intellectual Property

Hart David Carson, with our experience in IP and business law, can help you protect everything that allows your company to stand out — its products, its brand, and its identity. 

We provide services in the following areas:

• Research and due diligence
• Licensing negotiations
• Help with patent and trademark applications
• Copyright registration
• Representation and enforcement

Legal registration and licensing of copyrights, patents, and trademarks makes it much easier to keep your IP well protected, so it is worth the investment of time and money in obtaining the proper licensing.

Your creative capital is valuable, and we’ll work hard with you to protect the investments of time and energy involved in its creation. We represent clients in a wide array of industries, including retail, entertainment, non-profit, manufacturing, and many more.

To learn more about how our intellectual property attorneys can help you, contact Hart David Carson for a free consultation.