Trademark/Copyright Counseling

Winston & Strawn's intellectual property attorneys are intimately involved in the selection, protection, and maintenance of our clients' all-important brands, and in building value through licensing and other transactional means.

Our intellectual property practice includes counseling on the availability and registrability of trademarks, prosecuting applications for registration before the USPTO and international trademark offices, and designing and implementing worldwide trademark protection programs. In addition to filing and prosecuting trademark applications, our attorneys do an enormous amount of trademark searching and clearance opinions for our clients. Our attorneys currently manage extensive trademark portfolios for several Fortune 200 and multinational clients.

For several clients, we also provide integrated trademark protection services, including reviewing watch notices, domain name notices, and overseeing infringement protection programs. For example, for one popular brand client, we developed and managed its online infringement program, monitoring and pursuing more than 1,000 counterfeit sales, knock-offs, and domain name infringements annually. With our substantial experience in advertising and promotions law, we are well-suited to assist our clients in prioritizing their brand protection goals and developing a cost-effective mechanism for pursuing infringements.

Our intellectual property attorneys also counsel Internet companies, authors, publishers, television program producers, and international television networks in U.S. and global copyright issues. Moreover, our attorneys provide strategic risk avoidance and business planning advice to technology and e-commerce companies concerning cutting-edge copyright and intellectual property liability theories. In conjunction with our counseling and litigation representations in these areas, we have advised clients on legislative reform and have worked with members of Congress and the World Intellectual Property Organization on the drafting and initiation of landmark copyright legislation.