Civil Litigation: Intellectual Property Law

Civil litigation lawsuits can be messy in terms of time, energy, and money if they’re not treated thoroughly. Civil litigation lawsuits carry over from various areas of civil law but have become an even more pertinent part in intellectual property law. In short, intellectual property (IP) is an increasingly popular practice area that involves protecting creations of the human mind. Such creations include inventions that may qualify for patent protection; creative and artistic works such as books, screenplays, musical performances, and movies; as well as product slogans, names, packaging and logos; names, symbols, designs and images used in commerce; and trade secrets. (Source: legalcareers.about.com)

Intellectual property law is becoming increasingly relevant in today’s society due to our steady development as a consumer society. Technological advancements have been paramount through the past millennium with even greater changes in the way we communicate. There have been major and minor stories that have changed the course of history through intellectual property law lawsuits. Money has been lost and gained in these endeavors from startup ideas that are now multi-million dollar corporations. As ideas and creations begin to grow, lawyers will provide protection and comfort over these clauses and business ventures.

Intellectual property law includes six main components that subdivide their practices under essential topics such as patent law, trademark law, copyright law, trade secret law, licensing, and unfair competition. New discoveries in the field of science and engineering have created greater needs for lawyers to protect the intellectual capital of inventors, investors, and businesses. With greater resources in today’s competitive businesses, demand for lawyers who specialize in intellectual property law is growing. Even when other law practices are affected by recession, that of intellectual property continues to thrive. The advent of the Internet is home to some of the wildest intellectual property lawsuits.

The digital age has made media accessible in many different areas. For instance, a major form of intellectual property lawsuits we see today is electronic piracy, which refers to the abusive registration of trademarks on the Internet.  Piracy has also become a way for people steal goods through Internet sites. This could take the form of audio or video, and/or goods that are being sold illegally over the web. The most common form we see today is piracy of music and videos. Until recently, sites for downloading illegal music and videos were viral around the globe. Copyright infringements have been overlooked and for a while, several websites were successfully getting away with such illegal developments. Because there are so many available websites all over the Internet, it’s been hard for law enforcement to track who and what to shut down. However, different countries like China have been steadily enacting intellectual property laws to protect them from their content’s safety. Recently, the website Movie2k was one of many websites that was shutdown due to illegally obtaining and distributing videos and television series.

People are becoming more and more aware of this crime, which is why they are seeking help before the legalities of the matter occur. Lawyers will not only help protect you from intellectual property crimes, but they’ll also offer guidance and help in your business startups. They will ensure your safety through patent rights, which is used to exclude others from practicing the invention described and claimed in the document. Recalling the history of Facebook Inc., some may remember the ensuing lawsuits that caused a ruckus of time and money. The documentary-based movie, “The Social Network” is one of the greatest examples of intellectual property law. Without patent protection, exploiting someone else’s work is, in fact, fair game. Do not become someone who will face an IP lawsuit because they never had appropriate protection. Instead, it’s likely worth your while to hire a lawyer to forestall the process and defend your intellectual creativity.

 Written by Kellie Bertels, an attorney with the firm Bandré, Hunt & Snider, LLC where they are the leading attorneys in Jefferson City MO.

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