Do you need legal counsel for your patent or trademark? A trademark attorney at Larson and Larson can help you out in the Tampa Bay area. Lawyers for such a niche practice can be difficult to find, but our firm has the experience and professionals you can rely on. We work extensively in the field of intellectual property rights, and we can guide you through the legal process. With our help, we make it easy for you to protect your intellectual property. Some of the areas in which our lawyers practice include:
Patents
Patents refer to inventions. Patents are an exclusive right granted by the government to make, use, or sell your invention for a number of years. In the United States, utility patents are valid for 20 years from the filing date. The purpose of patents is to encourage innovation; they give individuals and companies in Tampa and beyond an incentive to invest in creating new products without fear of competition springing up. The three main types of patents are utility (for useful apparatus and processes), design (for purely ornamental inventions), and plant (for plant inventions).
Trademarks
Trademarks are defined as a word, phrase, symbol, or sound that distinguishes the goods or services a business. Trademarks can vary in strength. From weakest to strongest the designations are: generic, suggestive, descriptive, and fanciful/arbitrary. It is wise to consult a trademark attorney for questions regarding the strength or registrability of your trademarks.
- Generic designations are the weakest and unprotectable. They do not have secondary meaning and do not distinguish the goods or services the business. Generic designations do not qualify for trademark protection. An example of this kind of designation would be Aspirin or Escalator.
- Descriptive marks are stronger than generic, but are the weakest form of protectable trademarks. They either describe the goods, or, merely describe the ingredients, features, or characteristics of the goods. For instance, Coke Zero is a merely descriptive mark that describes the ingredients or features of the goods.
- Suggestive marks are stronger than descriptive marks. Whether a mark is suggestive depends on the degree of imagination, competitors’ use, and competitors’ need. A trademark attorney can help you determine which designation applies to your trademark.
- Fanciful/arbitrary marks are the strongest marks and do not describe or even suggest the goods or services associated with the mark. Apple, Oreo, and Kodak are all examples of arbitrary or fanciful marks.
Copyrights
Copyrights give protection to artistic works such as novels, musical compositions, paintings, etc. In any place in the United States, including Tampa, copyright protection lasts for 70 years after the author’s death, after which the work goes into the public domain. Copyright gives creators the exclusive right to publish, reproduce, license, or distribute a work.
Licensing Agreement
A professional trademark attorney at Larson and Larson in Tampa Bay can also help you prepare licensing agreements for your work. Licensing agreements allow an inventor, creator, or business owner to let others use their work while still benefiting and being credited for it. These agreements range from being simple to highly complex, and having a lawyer to assist is invaluable.
Litigation
If you are involved or are going to be involved in a lawsuit concerning intellectual property in the Tampa area, our firm can also help you by providing legal representation. Litigation matters can become convoluted, and having a legal professional guide you through the process is critical.
International Practice
The laws concerning patents, trademarks, and copyrights differ vastly between countries. If your intellectual property extends internationally, an experienced trademark attorney at our firm can assist you through the representation of our network of foreign associates. For example, if you have a patented product that will be exported or manufactured overseas, our lawyers can guide you through the often complex process of filing the proper documents with each foreign office.
Call Larson and Larson for a Trademark Attorney in Tampa
If you need quality legal assistance concerning intellectual property matters in the Tampa area, a trademark attorney at Larson and Larson is ready to provide the counsel you deserve. Call our firm today at 813-223-3226 for assistance or reach out to us online to learn more about our services.