Patents
Assets. For any individual or any sized company, it comes down to protecting your investments. At Diederiks & Whitelaw, PLC, our purpose is to acquire, increase and maintain our client’s intellectual property portfolios. From patentability assessment to international patent procurement, we strive to develop and protect our client’s assets in the broadest scope possible.
Our strength lies in our experience. By drawing on more than six decades of patent know-how, including over eight years working for the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, we have the depth and insight in virtually every technical discipline. Our attorneys, patent agents and technical assistants offer comprehensive intellectual property services, including opinions on patentability, infringement and validity issues, domestic and international patent prosecution, patent appeals and interferences before the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office, patent portfolio management, patent licensing and litigation matters.
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Trademarks
Protecting your good name has never been more important than in today’s competitive market. Guarding a company’s identity and reputation is the heart of our trademark practice. Our attorneys counsel clients with regard to trademark clearance, prosecution and maintenance in the U.S. and around the world. However, a trademark is only as good as the recognition it receives. Therefore, we handle trademark licensing negotiations with a focus on our client’s vision for their company, services and/or goods. Developing guidelines for our clients on proper trademark usage also helps preserve and sustain their rights. Whether dealing with trade dress, trade names or domain names, Diederiks & Whitelaw, PLC provides specialized insight in order to maximize our client’s valuable marks.
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Copyrights
With today’s ever-changing technology, diligent protection of copyrightable works is essential. Recently, the music and film industries have seen piracy skyrocket, literally costing rightful owners billions of dollars. With the click of any computer mouse, transcripts, recordings, databases, software, technical designs and video can be transmitted around the world in an instant. By counseling clients on the appropriate registration applicable for their works, we provide the requisite legal expertise needed to obtain the proper protection and title associated with their copyrights.
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Licensing
With the ability to divide and sub-divide patent rights, assigning and licensing issues can create a myriad of client options which need to be considered and analyzed. Diederiks & Whitelaw, PLC provides the legal advice and technical support necessary in connection with assigning and licensing patent rights. Having successfully negotiated and drafted multi-million dollar licenses, the attorneys at Diederiks & Whitelaw, PLC have the experience and expertise necessary to advise and guide clients through the maze inherently associated with each transfer of intellectual property rights.
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Litigation
Having successfully handled federal litigation matters in connection with each of patents, copyrights and trademarks, including litigating in the “Rocket Docket” Eastern District Court of Virginia, Western District Court of Texas - Dallas, Arizona District Court - Phoenix and Washington Western District Court - Seattle, Diederiks & Whitelaw, PLC legally represents clients in connection with the enforcement of their intellectual property rights. Through direct bar licenses to the highest courts in the states of Virginia, Washington D.C. and Connecticut, registrations to practice before the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, and the availability of ad hoc rights in courts throughout the United States, the attorneys at Diederiks & Whitelaw, PLC can effectively take main or support positions for the best interest of their clients in litigation matters, including expert witness roles.
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Searching
Since its inception, Diederiks & Whitelaw, PLC has operated an extensive search practice, conducting more than five hundred searches per year. With searchers disciplined in a wide range of fields, including mechanical, electrical, biotech and chemical technologies, Diederiks & Whitelaw, PLC has the capability of providing a comprehensive range of searching services to its clients. Numerous types of patent searches are available, including patentability/novelty, state-of-the-art, infringement/right-to-use, validity and collection searches, utilizing both manual and computer keyword search techniques. Trademark searches, covering both registered and pending trademarks, are also available. Standard reports provide clients with a brief description of the invention searched, a list of the prior art developed during the course of the search, a discussion of each of the best perceived references, a legal opinion when requested, and a scope of search section to outline the extent of the search conducted. Firm quotes are readily available, at no cost, upon request.
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