Three Ways An Intellectual Property Lawyer Can Benefit Your Business

In the modern marketplace, a company's intellectual property can be among its most valuable assets. However, new businesses are often owned or managed by individuals with a limited appreciation for defending their property rights. When these individuals recognize this need, they may lack the knowledge or experience to handle this aspect of their business. For these enterprises, retaining an intellectual property lawyer can be extremely beneficial as there are a few invaluable services these professionals can offer.

Obtaining Patents And Trademarks

To prevent copying of your products or trademarks, you will have to have them recognized by the government as belonging to your enterprise. Unfortunately, the process for obtaining both patents and trademarks can be extremely complicated and lengthy. When you are represented by an intellectual property lawyer, they will be able to manage much of the process on your behalf. This will allow you to focus on your daily tasks while minimizing the risk of making costly mistakes during this application process.

Managing The Appeal Process

Unfortunately, there are many individuals that may have started the process of filing for a trademark or obtaining a patent. In these situations, it is likely that mistakes were made that could lead to the application being denied. When this occurs, it may still be possible to be awarded the patent or trademark, as you can file an appeal. These appeals will require the application to be reviewed by a separate body. An intellectual property lawyer will be able to help you prepare for this process by correcting the mistakes that were present in your initial application and helping to bolster your argument for the trademark or patent.

Defending Intellectual Property

A key requirement of being awarded a trademark or patent will be that you must defend it against infringement. In addition to traditional infringement and copying, the internet has made it possible for many types of intellectual property to be infringed and distributed. While you may assume that it is not possible to combat intellectual property infringement on the internet, an experienced attorney will be able to help get these contents removed. Additionally, there may be civil penalties that can be levied against the party responsible for the infringement. As a service to their clients, many of these law firms will partner with monitoring services to help them identify instances of infringement so that corrective action can be taken. Retaining this type of service will be a sizable commitment for your enterprise, but there may not be a more effective solution for defending intellectual property against infringement.