Greenspoon Marder’s IP Practice Group provides a full-service practice focused on helping clients protect, enforce and exploit their intellectual property rights. Our lawyers represent clients of all sizes: individual inventors; entrepreneurs; small and mid-size businesses; and large multinational corporations. We leverage our diverse backgrounds in business, science, technology and law with an in-depth understanding of intellectual property rights to help our clients succeed in today’s increasingly competitive global marketplace.
With decades of experience, we focus on the development, protection and exploitation of intellectual property. Our team has earned a reputation for aggressively litigating business-critical intellectual property assets and managing high-value IP portfolios for our clients.
Greenspoon Marder’s attorneys, patent prosecutors and technical specialists have advanced scientific training and are admitted to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). We have the technical expertise to understand the hard science behind our clients’ technical innovations. We also have an extensive network of foreign patent agents with whom we work on international patent matters. Our skilled professionals monitor and manage patent and trademark portfolios to efficiently maintain and enhance matters entrusted to us.
Representative Matters
We have represented, among others, entities and individuals in the following industries: aerospace, insurance, timeshare, finance, apparel, real estate development and brokerage, software development, action sports, manufacturing, international mobile telecom, solar power, music publishing and entertainment, oil, rental car, and medical device. See our list of representative matters.
Our IP services include
- Management of IP Portfolios, including Patents, Trademarks, Domain Names and other IP assets
- Intellectual Property Litigation, including Patent, Trademark, Trade Secret, Copyright and Domain Name Disputes
- IP Licensing, including licensing disputes
- Preparing and Prosecuting U.S. Patent Applications
- Preparing and Prosecuting U.S. Trademark Applications
- Post-Grant Patent Proceedings before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB), including Inter Partes Reviews (IPRs), Covered Business Method (CBM) Reviews and Post-Grant Reviews (PGRs)
- Trademark Proceedings before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB)
- Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP) Proceedings
- Trade Secret Counseling
- International Trade Commissions (ITC) Section 337 Investigations
- Rendering Validity and Non-Infringement Opinions as well as Auditing Intellectual Property Portfolios
- In-House Educational Training and Seminars on Intellectual Property Law and Related Matters
Greenspoon Marder’s IP practice group is a proud member of the International Trademark Association.
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Brian A. Bloom
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Sandra Brown
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Alan S. Clarke
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Mel DeCandia
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Nathan M. Gallinat
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Ahmand R. Johnson
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Jillian K. Markowitz
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Aliya J. Nelson
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Robert J. Rando
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Bruce B. Siegal
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Gavin Strube
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Sharon Urias
Sharon Urias
Partner & IP Practice Group Leader
Phone: (480) 306-5458 sharon.urias@gmlaw.com View Bio -
Marc Walkow
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Philippe A. Zimmerman
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Trademark Law and Registration
Trademark Law and Registration
There are many different ways in which a business can create branding. By using a trademark, you can build brand recognition and protect your business’s identity. At Greenspoon Marder, we provide clients with tailored intellectual property services, including the handling of all trademark issues. We explain the differences between a registered trademark (®) and an unregistered trademark (™), and help you decide upon the best possible strategy to protect your brand.
What Is a Trademark?
A trademark is the hallmark that a company uses to identify itself or the goods and services that it provides. It can be a slogan, word, phrase, symbol, logo, image, or any combination of these elements. Though trademark registration is not required, it may be beneficial to protect your rights and to ensure that your business is the one being identified by the trademark.
Trademark Creation and Licensing
Our law firm’s trademark practice includes counseling clients on choosing an identity that is strong, unique and protected by law. We have extensive experience dealing with the creation of trademarks and filing of applications in the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and abroad. We can help you understand how a trademark will represent your business in the public’s eye. We also prepare license agreements in order for other individuals and businesses to compensate you for the legal use of your trademark.
Trademark Litigation
When a trademark is used unlawfully, it is possible to get damages from and even stop the individual or entity who is infringing the trademark. You may be entitled to monetary compensation if the trademark usage benefitted the persons using it without your permission. Learn more about our trademark litigation practice.
Contact an experienced trademark attorney at Greenspoon Marder.
Contact Greenspoon Marder to schedule a consultation with an experienced trademark attorney.
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Patent Counseling and Prosecution
Patent Counseling and Prosecution
Greenspoon Marder’s Intellectual Property Practice Group provides comprehensive patent counseling and prosecution services. In an ever-changing legal landscape, we do more than just prepare and file patent applications; we provide our clients with strategic counseling to efficiently obtain and maintain their patent rights.
At Greenspoon Marder, we learn your technology and business to customize services best suited to your needs, whether you are a first-time inventor or have an expansive patent portfolio.
From domestic provisional patent applications to coordinated international filings, our patent attorneys have decades of combined experience counseling clients on patent and design registration rights in a wide range of jurisdictions including the United States, European Union, China, Japan, South Korea, India, Canada, Australia and more.
Greenspoon Marder’s patent counseling and prosecution services include:
- Rendering patentability, validity, and non-infringement opinions
- Preparing and prosecuting utility and design patent applications, including reissuing applications and reexaminations
- Obtaining and maintaining foreign patents and registered designs
- Counseling regarding direct and virtual patent marking
- Analyzing inventorship issues, making inventorship determinations, and reviewing invention disclosures
- Advising clients on patent lifecycle management
- Auditing and managing domestic and international patent portfolios
- Negotiating and preparing inbound and outbound patent licenses
- Providing in-house educational training and seminars on patent law and related matters
PTAB Proceedings: Inter Partes Review, Covered Business Method Review, and Post-Grant Review
Inter Partes Review (IPR), Covered Business Method Review (CBM) and Post-Grant Review (PGR) are administrative trial proceedings conducted before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB).
The America Invents Act authorized the filing of petitions for IPR, CBM, and PGR as of September 2012. An IPR allows reconsideration of a patent’s validity before a panel of administrative judges, but only based on patents or other published prior art. At the same time, the procedure allows a patent owner to amend challenged claims to avoid cancellation. While a CBM proceeding allows reconsideration of a patent’s validity on almost any ground, including patent ineligibility under 35 U.S.C. §101, it only applies to patents that claim “a method or corresponding apparatus for performing data processing or other operations used in the practice, administration, or management of a financial product or service.” A PGR proceeding may also test the validity of a patent on almost any ground, but is only available for up to nine (9) months after a patent issues.
IPRs, CBMs, and PGRs require both technical and litigation skills, as it involves aspects of both patent prosecution and litigation. The PTAB clearly expects the attorneys practicing before it to have an extremely high level of skill and expertise. Greenspoon Marder is recognized nationally as a go-to intellectual property firm that possesses the essential combination of litigation and prosecution expertise necessary to succeed in these administrative proceedings before the PTAB.
International Trade Commission (ITC) §337 Investigations
Section 337 investigations are conducted by the United States International Trade Commission (ITC) and most often involve allegations of patent and trademark infringement by importers of goods. The primary remedy is an exclusion order that directs Untied States Customs to stop infringing imports from crossing the border. In other words, goods may be prevented from entering the United States.
These ITC Section 337 investigations have become powerful weapons to keep potentially infringing products out of the United States. Used effectively, the holder of United States patents and trademarks can wage war on foreign competition in ways that is not available in traditional litigation.
Whether you are a company seeking to stop the importation of competing products, or a company that is threatened with an ITC Section 337 action aimed at keeping your products out of the United States, you need a skilled and experienced team of attorneys that understand and have experience with the rules. ITC § 337 proceedings are different, rigid and extremely complicated, and are highly technical and expensive. Greenspoon Marder’s attorneys have handled several ITC matters and are readily available to assist you in navigating this highly specialized area of the law.
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IP Licensing
Licensing of Intellectual Property Rights
Whether you are the IP owner or the licensee, both parties have rights and obligations as stated in their license agreement. Before a dispute even arises, you will need a lawyer who understands IP licensing issues to avoid any hidden traps or loopholes and strategically capitalize on the transaction. Should a dispute develop, delaying action may result in increased damages. Discuss your situation with an experienced attorney.
Greenspoon Marder’s IP Practice Group has substantial experience negotiating, drafting and litigating licensing agreements. Every case we handle receives our personal attention from start to finish.
Our law firm handles licensing disputes throughout the United States involving:
- Use of a trademark without meeting the quality and auditing requirements of the original licensing agreement.
- Failure to keep accurate accounting and/or to pay royalties.
- Misuse of the trademarks or other IP interests.
- Failure to abide by confidentiality obligations.
- Other breaches of licensing agreements.
Make sure the requirements of the license agreement are met.
When one party fails to meet its obligations under a license agreement, an experienced attorney will be able to sort through the facts and determine the appropriate action to take in order to protect the business. Contact Greenspoon Marder today to discuss how we may fulfill your Intellectual Property needs.
News & Videos
- May 1, 2025 Legally Protecting Your Screenplay: Finished? Now What?
- Apr 3, 2025 You, Me & IP – Basic Types of Licensing Presented by Attorney Bruce Siegal
- Apr 2, 2025 Georgia “No Fakes” Bill Fails to Advance in 2025 Legislative Session
- Feb 14, 2025 Cannabis IP: Is There a Major Shift Ahead?
- Feb 7, 2025 Pat Riley’s “Three-Peat”: A Trademark Victory
- Feb 4, 2025 You Me and IP – “Trademark Law: Navigating Transatlantic Differences”
- Jan 16, 2025 Mark Your Calendar – USPTO Fee Increases and Policy Shifts in 2025
- Jan 13, 2025 Greenspoon Marder Intellectual Property Practice Group Leader Sharon Urias Successfully Represents Client in Domain Dispute
- Dec 19, 2024 Greenspoon Marder Partner Robert Rando Files Amicus Brief in Impactful Case Before U.S. Supreme Court
- Oct 24, 2024 Super Lawyers Magazine Recognizes Eleven Greenspoon Marder Attorneys Among the New York Super Lawyers & Rising Stars for 2024
- Aug 20, 2024 Greenspoon Marder Expands Litigation and Intellectual Property Practice Groups with Additions of Partners Brian Bloom and Brant Kuehn in New York Office
- Jul 23, 2024 The Battle Over the Dewberry Name: A Deep Dive into Dewberry Group Inc. v. Dewberry Engineers
- May 31, 2024 Why Startups Must Prioritize Intellectual Property Protection
- Feb 15, 2024 Can You Smell What The Rock is Trademarking? A Look at IP Protection
- Jan 8, 2024 Copyrights, Trademarks, and a Certain Animated Mouse
- Dec 15, 2023 Maintaining Control – Avoiding a Naked Trademark License Designation
- Nov 20, 2023 Patent Law: As The Bee Gees said, “It’s only words, and words are all I have to take your heart away”
- Oct 5, 2023 Greenspoon Marder Partner Sharon Urias Appointed to International Trademark Association’s International Amicus Committee For 2024-2025 Term
- Sep 15, 2023 New Trademark Examination Guidelines Require Domicile Address – Even for Online Businesses
- Jul 20, 2023 Greenspoon Marder Expands Cannabis Law and Intellectual Property Practices with Addition of Partner Jon Purow
- Jun 15, 2023 The Look Behind the Curtain: The Need for Strategic Branding in Cannabis Trademarks
- May 9, 2023 Greenspoon Marder Partner Robert J. Rando Appointed President of the New York Intellectual Property Law Association (NYIPLA)
- Jan 13, 2023 FTC Proposes Rule on Non-Competition Agreements
- Dec 1, 2022 Greenspoon Marder Counsels Vanderbilt Name, Image, and Likeness Collective
- Oct 18, 2022 You, Me & IP: As Restaurateurs Turn to NFTs, Where’s the Beef?
- Sep 29, 2022 Super Lawyers Recognizes Nine Greenspoon Marder Attorneys In New York Metro 2022 Edition
- Aug 2, 2022 You, Me & IP: Mortality Report – Death of Trademarks by Genericide
- Jul 18, 2022 Kat Von D Tattoo Copyright Infringement Suit – A Permanent Mistake?
- Jun 27, 2022 You, Me & IP – Space Marks: To Infinity & Beyond!
- Jun 23, 2022 Greenspoon Marder Partner Robert Rando Elected To Serve As President Elect of the New York Intellectual Property Law Association
- May 31, 2022 Greenspoon Marder Represents Client Doré in Launch of Made In France Skincare Line
- May 12, 2022 Big Candy and Big Food Companies Ask Congress To Intervene on Illicit Cannabis Packaging
- May 12, 2022 You, Me & IP: “Space Marks: To Infinity and Beyond!”
- Apr 25, 2022 You, Me & IP: Cybersquatting is Back!
- Apr 11, 2022 You, Me & IP Webinar “Cybersquatting is Back!”
- Mar 21, 2022 You, Me & IP: Fashioning Intellectual Property to Suit
- Feb 24, 2022 Greenspoon Marder Partner Robert Rando Featured Speaker At New York Intellectual Property Law Association Patent Trial And Appeals Board Committee CLE Program
- Feb 7, 2022 Greenspoon Marder Represents Samson & Surrey in Significant Transaction
- Dec 9, 2021 You Me & IP – A Trademark Analysis of Santa’s Workshop
- Dec 1, 2021 Greenspoon Marder Launches Innovation & Technology Practice Group Led by New Partner Eric Galen in Miami
- Nov 18, 2021 You, Me & IP – Intellectual Property Questions from MJBizCon Conversations
- Nov 17, 2021 Intellectual Property Questions from MJBizCon Conversations
- Nov 16, 2021 Sports IP: College Athletes and Name, Image and Likeness
- Oct 25, 2021 SENSORY TRADEMARKS: SELLING TO THE SUBTLE PERCEPTIONS OF SOPHISTICATES
- Oct 19, 2021 Greenspoon Marder Attorney Bruce Siegal Featured Speaker at 10th Annual Mississippi Sports Law Review | NIL & IP Summit
- Oct 14, 2021 You, Me & IP Webinar Series: Sensory Trademarks: Selling to the Subtle Perceptions of Sophisticates
- Oct 14, 2021 Webinar: You, Me & IP – Sensory Trademarks
- Oct 13, 2021 Greenspoon Marder Attorneys Alan Clarke and Peter Stathopoulos Participate In Georgia Intellectual Property Alliance’s 15th Annual 2021 Corporate Intellectual Property Institute®
- Oct 12, 2021 Greenspoon Marder Names Sharon Urias as IP Practice Group Leader
- Oct 5, 2021 Cannabis Quick Hits: Intellectual Property in the Cannabis Industry
- Sep 30, 2021 Super Lawyers Recognizes 11 Greenspoon Marder Attorneys In New York Metro 2021 Edition
- Aug 30, 2021 Greenspoon Marder Attorney Bruce Siegal Featured Speaker at the Georgia Intellectual Property Alliance Creators Community Virtual Gathering
- Aug 11, 2021 Greenspoon Marder Partner Robert Rando Featured Speaker at Federal Bar Association Webinar “A SCOTUS Review of IP Cases in the Recent 2020 Term and its Implications for Constitutional Jurisprudence in Other Areas of Law”
- May 21, 2021 Registering Trademarks With U.S. Customs and Border Protection to Stop Infringing Imports
- May 21, 2021 GM Innovation Week: Catch You at the Border: Registering Trademarks With U.S. Customs and Border Protection to Stop Infringing Imports
- May 17, 2021 Top Tips on Navigating Legal and Operational Startup Challenges
- Apr 5, 2021 Getting Back to Basics: What Make A Strong Trademark
- Mar 10, 2021 Greenspoon Marder Welcomes Five New Partners In New York Including New Managing Partner
- Feb 19, 2021 Webinar: It’s Time to Confirm You’re Properly Using Trademarks in Commerce
- Feb 18, 2021 You, Me & IP Webinar Series: It’s Time to Confirm You’re Properly Using Trademarks in Commerce
- Feb 18, 2021 You, Me & IP Webinar Series: Getting Back to Basics
- Feb 15, 2021 Greenspoon Marder Promotes Six Attorneys To Partner in 2021
- Jan 28, 2021 It’s Time to Confirm You’re Properly Using Trademarks in Commerce
- Dec 16, 2020 Webinar: You, Me & IP Series – The Grinch Who Stole Holiday Trademarks
- Dec 4, 2020 You, Me & IP Webinar Series: The Grinch Who Stole Holiday Trademarks
- Dec 4, 2020 You, Me & IP Webinar Series: The Grinch Who Stole Holiday Trademarks
- Nov 19, 2020 Webinar: You, Me & IP Series – A Cannabis Haiku
- Nov 19, 2020 You, Me & IP Webinar Series: A Cannabis Haiku
- Oct 23, 2020 Summary Judgment is Sticky Business in Trade Dress Cases
- Oct 22, 2020 Webinar: The Washington Football Team A $3.4B Identity Crisis
- Oct 20, 2020 Greenspoon Marder Hosts The You, Me & IP Webinar Series: “The Washington Football Team Is A $3.4B Identity Crisis”
- Oct 13, 2020 You, Me & IP Webinar Series: The Washington Football Team A $3.4B Identity Crisis
- Oct 13, 2020 You, Me & IP Webinar Series: The Washington Football Team A $3.4B Identity Crisis
- Aug 27, 2020 Webinar: COVID, Boomers and Karens: Oh my!
- Aug 11, 2020 You, Me & IP Webinar Series: COVID, Boomers and Karens: Oh My!
- Apr 22, 2020 Greenspoon Marder Secures Trademark for Pitbull’s Signature Grito
- Jul 1, 2019 Greenspoon Marder Intellectual Property Blog: Profit Awards in Trademark Cases: Supreme Court to Decide Whether Willfulness Is Required
- May 20, 2019 Greenspoon Marder Intellectual Property Blog: GOTrademarks?
- May 15, 2019 Greenspoon Marder Intellectual Property Blog: Update to UGG! Generic or Not?
- May 3, 2019 USDA Accepting Applications of Seed-Propagated Hemp for Plant Variety Protection
- Apr 11, 2019 Greenspoon Marder Intellectual Property Blog: Dusting Off the UDRP (Uniform Domain-Name Dispute-Resolution Policy)
- Mar 11, 2019 Trademark Protection in China
- Feb 20, 2019 How to Protect Your Registered Trademark
- Jan 25, 2019 Can Blockchain Technology Protect Your IP Assets?
- Jan 22, 2019 USPTO Releases Revised Guidance for Patent Subject Matter Eligibility
- Jan 15, 2019 3D Printing and IP Protection
- Jan 11, 2019 Hemp is “legal,” but what does it mean for U.S. trademarks?
- Jan 1, 2019 Meet the Lawyers – Justin McNaughton (Intellectual Property)
- Dec 13, 2018 Greenspoon Marder Cannabis Client Awarded $8,800,000 Final Judgment
- Nov 26, 2018 Do “Old Barbee” Alcoholic Beverages Really “Dilute” Barbie?
- Oct 29, 2018 Trademark Licenses in Bankruptcy Cases
- Oct 16, 2018 USPTO Harmonizes Claim Construction Standard with the Federal Courts for Inter Partes Review Proceedings
- Oct 11, 2018 Trademark Trolling
- Sep 18, 2018 Ugg! Generic or Not?
- Aug 17, 2018 Patent Lawsuit Fee Awards: How Much Is Enough to Be “Exceptional”?
- Jul 20, 2018 Is Kim Kardashian Feeling The “Vibes”?
- Jun 21, 2018 Coca-Cola or Dr Pepper?
- May 1, 2018 Greenspoon Marder Files Patent On Behalf of Wisconsin Student For Device That Could Help Save Lives During A School Shooting
- Apr 10, 2018 Attempting To Patent Cannabis-Related Inventions May Be Challenging
- Mar 28, 2018 Using Trade Secret Protection To Shield Your Marijuana-Related Intellectual Property
- Mar 27, 2018 Graffiti and Street Artists Sue for Copyright Infringement
- Feb 22, 2018 Parodies Can Be Protected from Intellectual Property Claims
- Feb 14, 2018 Greenspoon Marder Successfully Represents Client Before the Patent Trademark Appeal Board in Two Inter Partes Review Proceedings
- Jan 22, 2018 Another Trademark Battle Over Color
- Jan 5, 2018 Update: No Infringement in Allstate v. Kia Case
- Dec 11, 2017 Update: PayPal and Pandora Settle
- Dec 7, 2017 Greenspoon Marder Supports IP Counsel Exchange
- Dec 6, 2017 Greenspoon Marder Supports 8th Annual New York Health Forum
- Nov 10, 2017 A Trademark Fight Over Nearly Identical Names: Is There Confusion?
- Oct 4, 2017 Patents and Sovereign Immunity
- Sep 25, 2017 Delta Takes On Travel Websites
- Sep 11, 2017 Controversial USPTO Fee Rule Gets Full Federal Circuit Rehearing
- Aug 15, 2017 Video Games, Tattoos, and Copyrights – A Unique and Unsurprising Lawsuit
- Apr 6, 2017 An Award of Exceptional Case Fees Under the Patent Act for an Appeal
- Apr 6, 2017 Did I Settle the Case Even Though I Didn’t Sign a Settlement Agreement?
- Jan 12, 2017 Parody Bag Safe from Louis Vuitton
- Jan 9, 2017 Star Trek Fan Film May Not Live Long and Prosper
- Oct 20, 2016 Greenspoon Marder Announces Further Expansion with Addition of Intellectual Property Practice, Opening of Office in Nashville
- Oct 7, 2016 Another Patent Decision, Another Day in Court for Apple
Legally Protecting Your Screenplay: Finished? Now What?
Intellectual Property Blog May 1, 2025 Read More
Mark Your Calendar – USPTO Fee Increases and Policy Shifts in 2025
Jan 16, 2025 New York, NY Read More
The Battle Over the Dewberry Name: A Deep Dive into Dewberry Group Inc. v. Dewberry Engineers
Jul 23, 2024 Scottsdale, AZ Read More