U.S. Patent Protection

Foreign Patent Protection

Product Clearance Opinions

Patent Design-Around Opinions

Patent Infringement and Validity Opinions

Strategic Patent Analysis

Patent and Know-How Licensing

Technology Teaming
and Development Agreements

Employer/Employee IP Agreements

Litigation and Litigation Support

Patent Interference Practice

U.S. Trademark Protection

Foreign Trademark Protection

Trademark Clearance Opinions

Trademark Infringement Opinions

Trademark Licensing and Agreements

Copyright Registration

Copyright Licensing and Agreements

Internet Matters

U.S. Patent Protection
GTPP works closely with technology-based clients to secure and maintain a balanced and appropriate domestic patent portfolio. Our attorneys are technology-based, ensuring a more thorough understanding of new ideas and inventions while simultaneously evaluating business goals and counseling on the legal limits of protection available in a relevant competitive field. Our technology focus includes electronic circuitry and systems, semiconductor materials, optical and electro-optical designs, computer and microprocessor controlled devices, chemical operations, analytical and preparative chromatography, polymer chemistry, plastic materials, including design, processing and manufacture of molded and extruded materials, fiber and textile materials, medical based materials and products, and mechanical devices.

Foreign Patent Protection
GTPP works closely with numerous intellectual property firms globally to assist in providing our clients the maximum technology protection in a worldwide market. GTPP critically evaluates and proposes a foreign filing strategy commensurate with foreign competition, budgetary concerns and foreign sales and manufacturing expectations. GTPP makes widespread use of the International Patent Cooperation Treaty, which provides clients with the opportunity to postpone and reduce some of the relatively large costs associated with a foreign filing portfolio. Through its network of foreign associates, GTPP can arrange for and will actively prosecute patent applications worldwide, including applications before the European Patent Office (EPO), Canadian Patent Office, Japanese Patent Office, as well as other countries throughout Asia, Central America and South America.
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Product Clearance Opinions
GTPP attorneys are consistently active in clearing new product developments for market introduction. The goal of patent clearance is to avoid infringement of the patent rights of others, thereby avoiding financial exposure to a client. GTPP attorneys become involved in this effort at initial product development stages, and work closely with a client’s technical personnel in ensuring that financial investment in a new product or product line is not jeopardized by a competitor’s patent portfolio claim.
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Patent Design-Around Opinions
Frequently, competitive patents will present a minefield around strategically important product developments. Industry and technical experience allow GTPP attorneys to work closely with a client’s technical personnel in identifying and navigating these minefields to reach safe ground with a new product.
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Patent Infringement and Validity Opinions
GTPP attorneys have prepared countless patent infringement and validity opinions, as both plaintiff’s and defendant’s counsel. From a plaintiff’s perspective, infringement and validity opinions can be critical in assessing the merits of litigation and can lead to important strategic decisions. Reliable advice on these issues is also critical to an infringement defendant. Given the availability of sizable damage awards and injunctive relief, an infringement defendant must have a clear understanding of the exposure presented by an infringement suit. GTPP attorneys have extensive experience with infringement and validity issues in a wide array of technologies.
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Strategic Patent Analysis
Analysis of patents issued with respect to a particular technology can be effectively used to identify competitor market strategies and new product opportunities. GTPP is experienced in the process of mining patent information and presenting the information in a format useful for informed corporate growth.
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Patent and Know-How Licensing
Patent and know-how licensing can be effectively employed for revenue generation or for gaining protected rights to new technologies. GTPP attorneys are well experienced in this legally and technologically specialized field, having negotiated and prepared license agreements associated with a wide array of technologies.
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Technology Teaming and Development Agreements
Development and exploitation of technology may be best achieved by the joint efforts of multiple companies. GTPP has negotiated and prepared agreements for maximally leveraging the skills of multiple companies in such arrangements, while protecting the proprietary interests of its clients.
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Employer/Employee IP Agreements
Ownership of technological developments created by an employee is an often-overlooked issue in the employee hiring process. Likewise, in businesses where independent contractors are used, the issue of technology ownership frequently is not discussed but should be addressed as early in the relationship as possible. GTPP attorneys are well experienced with employee ownership issues and agreements, including the common law relating to ownership in the absence of an employee agreement.
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Intellectual Property Litigation and Litigation Support
GTPP attorneys are well experienced in intellectual property litigation matters, having litigated a variety of plaintiff and defendant cases to a successful result, and representing clients at the appellate level. GTPP’s attorneys also have served as local counsel in numerous cases before the Federal District Court for the District of New Hampshire.
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Patent Interference Practice
A patent interference is an administrative proceeding wherein the issue of inventorship is litigated between two different patent claimants. The first to invent is awarded the patent. GTPP attorneys have served as lead counsel in Patent Interference proceedings before the U.S. Patent Office Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences.
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U.S. Trademark Protection
GTPP’s trademark services encompass all aspects of trademark law, including assisting clients in selecting, protecting, maintaining and enforcing trademark rights in the U.S. The practice includes conducting searches and providing opinions and advice regarding the availability of proposed trademarks, the development of trademark portfolios, filing and prosecuting applications for registration of trademarks, trademark licensing, as well as enforcing and defending trademark rights in administrative and court proceedings in nearly all countries.
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Foreign Trademark Protection
There are nearly 200 jurisdictions throughout the world that provide for protection of trademark rights. GTPP has the knowledge and experience to assist clients in protecting their trademarks in countries where business is conducted, product is manufactured or where product marketing is underway or anticipated. Although most countries maintain independent bodies of law and rules of practice, the European Community trademark is available for obtaining protection in the twenty-five European Union member countries by way of one filing, and one filing under the Madrid System can be used to achieve registrations in up to seventy-seven countries.
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Trademark Clearance Opinions
GTPP attorneys have years of experience in conducting and reviewing trademark screening and clearance searches and in providing succinct opinions and recommendations regarding the availability of a client’s proposed trademark in the U.S. and in foreign countries.
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Trademark Infringement Opinions
When a client receives a cease and desist letter or learns of a third party use of a trademark that appears to conflict with the client’s trademark, GTPP will provide an opinion as to the merits of the parties’ positions and recommendations for action by the client.
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Trademark Licensing and Agreements
Trademark licensing can be effectively employed for revenue generation or for gaining protected rights in additional industries or geographic areas. GTPP attorneys are well experienced in this specialized field, having negotiated and prepared license agreements associated with a wide array of industries. We also have experience in negotiating and concluding settlement of disputes involving trademark conflict matters.
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Copyright Registration
GTPP is involved in assisting clients in protecting original works of authorship under the copyright laws of the US and foreign countries, including preparation and filing of applications for registration of copyrights which can provide valuable advantages.
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Copyright Licensing and Agreements
GTPP attorneys provide services in licensing and transferring ownership of copyrights as well as counseling clients when enforcement or defense of copyrights is necessary. We also have experience in negotiating and concluding settlement of disputes in the copyright field.
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Internet Matters
GTPP has successfully prosecuted numerous actions under the Uniform Dispute Resolution Policy with respect to Internet domain name disputes. GTPP also has been involved in matters concerning the content of web sites including copyright infringement, trademark infringement and First Amendment issues. In addition, we frequently provide counsel to clients who maintain or are developing web sites as they relate to intellectual property issues.
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