Practice Areas

Intellectual Property Service Areas

Your Go-To Source for IP Law

MMI Intellectual Property positions its clients for success by guiding them through the entire IP process while delivering first-class customer service from start to finish. As a result of our individualized approach to every case and our scope of expertise, we’ve had the pleasure of working with people across the globe. While our services aren’t limited to those listed below, our core areas of practice include:

  • Business & IP Counseling
  • Copyright Law
  • Internet & IT Law
  • Licensing & Contract Law
  • Prior Art Searches
  • Mediation
  • Patent Law
  • Trade Secret Law
  • Trademark Law
  • Patent Drawings
patent

Patent Law

MMI represents clients in the preparation and prosecution of patent applications for a variety of technologies at the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), internationally through the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT), and directly in other countries through our relationships with foreign IP firms. We also assist clients in the maintenance, enforcement, and licensing of issued patents, as well as patentability, patent validity, and infringement studies.

trademark

Trademark Law

MMI advises clients in the selection, availability, and registration of trademarks, service marks, and corporate names. Likewise, we prepare the applications to register trademarks and service marks, protect and defend those marks which have been selected, and prosecute those who infringe on those marks.

We can guide you through securing federal and state registration to protect your trademark and assist you with renewals and maintenance fee payments for registered trademarks. Alternatively, we can advise you on the best course of action to protect your mark if you wish to forgo registration.

If you are expanding your business internationally, our carefully cultivated network of international IP firms allows us to seek foreign trademark protection, including registration applications filed under the Madrid Protocol and renewals and maintenance fees for issued registrations.

If you are developing a new mark, we can advise you regarding potential infringement complications or conflicting marks. We can also provide licensing agreements with respect to your trademarks. In addition, we’ve aided our clients in securing protection of their Internet domain names and advised them regarding other avenues of IP law that aligned with their needs.

Copyright

Copyright Law

From federal copyright registration to address copyright infringement, MMI runs the gamut of copyright and IP protection. We advise clients on fair-use issues, distribution, and the publication of copyrighted works both online and off. Additionally, we counsel our clients in international protection of copyrighted works available through the Berne Convention.

Internet

Internet / IT Law

While the Internet has opened the doors to new IP opportunities, it has also created a litany of new risks that are often misunderstood and mismanaged. At MMI, we advise clients on how to maximize the value of these opportunities while minimizing liability in a way that also aligns with their business operations and objectives.

In an age where tens of thousands of attempted cyber attacks happen a day, we develop proactive response plans to cybersecurity threats to ensure your business is protected. If you don’t have a response and recovery plan, we’ll help you develop a strategy that keeps your data, network, and intellectual property safe.

Business

Business and IP Counseling

Did you know that every business has intellectual property? It’s true! Not only does every business have IP, but it’s often their most valuable asset. Unfortunately, many business owners and stakeholders don’t protect it until it’s too late.

To avoid the minefields of the modern IP landscape, MMI works with businesses to protect their IP assets while also helping them discover new ways to capitalize on this commodity. By aligning with your goals, we can individualize our IP counseling services to your specific needs.

 

trade

Trade Secret Law

MMI Intellectual Property assists clients in establishing and protecting their trade secrets. We can help you protect your trade secrets by utilizing confidentiality agreements, employee agreements, non-disclosure agreements, corporate information policies, and other safeguards.

License

Licensing & Contract Law

MMI helps businesses sell, license, and transfer rights to their IP. In addition, we also help businesses purchase lease, license, and acquire rights to IP. No matter your need, we’ll assist in your IP licensing and contract initiatives. This service includes the registration of IP assets, where appropriate, with the necessary governmental authorities, whether in the United States or overseas.

mediation

Mediation

At MMI, we offer mediation dispute resolution services to help resolve disputes involving your business and intellectual property. Typically, mediation is an affordable alternative to litigation through the court system, where there is no guarantee of a satisfactory outcome and neither side in the dispute can control the decision-making process. Mediation allows parties to come to a mutually agreeable resolution and think outside the limitations of what the legal system can provide. MMI acts as a neutral third party that helps guide and support parties in conflict.

art 1

Prior Art and Patentability Searches

Prior art searching is a recommended first step to any entrepreneurial venture. At MMI we use our trained staff to perform prior-art and patentability searches in-house. Our client’s work is never sent to third parties or overseas firms. We search published patent applications, issued patents, as well as non-patent literature from journals, papers, and other internet sources. These searches play an important role in determining the likelihood that a patent could be obtained, to find prior art that would invalidate an existing patent, or to find out if there are any patent barriers to market entry of a new product.

patent drawing 1

Patent Drawings

A picture is worth a thousand words and good illustrations go a long way to make clear what is intended by a written description. Patent laws require that a patent application include drawings and figures that help illustrate the scope of the invention. These drawings are not the same as engineering drawings and have specific requirements for format and content that must be met. MMI has the ability to create patent drawings in-house which allows for flexible and quick turnaround times.