At Dowling Aaron Incorporated, we understand intellectual property is an important asset that needs to be diligently protected from unauthorized use. The attorneys in this practice group offer comprehensive services to help protect your company name, brand, inventions, technology, software, artwork, and proprietary information by the strategic application of trademark, copyright, patent and trade secret laws and the use of appropriate contractual and procedural mechanisms.

Trademark law protects words, symbols, names and colors that your company uses to identify and distinguish its products or services from competitors. Copyright law protects tangible expressions including music, art, writing, software code, architectural designs, graphics, photographs, video and other works of authorship. Patents provide exclusive rights to inventions and designs for a limited period of time. Trade secret law protects valuable concepts, formulas, information, and practices in order to provide an advantage over competitors. All of these forms of intellectual property can provide significant economic value to a company and all of them need protection.

The attorneys in this practice group help identify valuable intellectual property and provide practical, valuable solutions tailored for each client. Some of the typical projects that arise in this context are selection and protection of trademarks, including registration at the state, federal and international levels; prosecuting and defending trademark disputes in court and before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office; registration of copyrights; protection of trade secrets through non-disclosure agreements; protection of intellectual property rights through use of software development agreements, licensing agreements, consulting agreements, assignments of intellectual property, and work-for-hire agreements; prosecuting and defending domain name disputes under the UDRP.

In some cases, Dowling Aaron Incorporated can provide these services using alternative fee arrangements, such as agreed-upon fixed prices, specifically tailored to each client’s needs.

Contact Kevin C. Grant at the Firm’s Fresno office, (559) 432-4500, or directly by e-mail at kgrant@dowlingaaron.com, to discuss how Dowling Aaron Incorporated can assist you.

Practice Group Members: Larry B. Lindenau, Kevin C. Grant, Timothy J. Larson, Mara M. Erlach, Nathan W. Powell