Intellectual Property (Patent/Data Rights)

Protecting intellectual property is a common concern for most businesses, but when contracting with the federal government this interest takes on special significance. We regularly counsel clients regarding special rules and traps for the unwary contained in federal clauses, in order to develop practices and procedures, such as attention to marking and intellectual property audits, to protect valuable data and other rights when contracting with the government. We also assist clients seeking to license intellectual property rights in the context of government projects, such as to or from subcontractors and teammates. We work closely with our intellectual property group, which is equipped to handle any sort of infringement claim or challenge, as well as implement all of the traditional intellectual property protections involving patents, trademarks, and copyrights. And, when our clients determine that the government is mistakenly seeking to release or exploit proprietary intellectual property, such as pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act, we represent them in actions to prevent wrongful release, or to secure compensation for wrongful use.