Overview of Technology and Intellectual Property Practice

Pedersen & Houpt assists entrepreneurs, start-up technology companies and middle market manufacturing and service companies to identify, develop and protect their intellectual property. Our attorneys have extensive experience in counseling clients on a full range of technology and intellectual property issues.

Pedersen & Houpt regularly negotiates intellectual property transfer, licensing and distribution arrangements on behalf of our clients.  Our attorneys also have substantial experience in drafting and negotiating computer software and hardware maintenance and support agreements as well as escrow agreements and consulting agreements involving intellectual property. 

Pedersen & Houpt also counsels clients regarding both new and long-established e-commerce ventures.  Our attorneys regularly draft, review and negotiate contracts related to website hosting, development and maintenance and provide legal advice with respect to website content protection, tax issues involved with doing business on the internet and compliance with applicable state and federal privacy statutes and regulations after conducting comprehensive website audits.

Pedersen & Houpt handles a variety of commercial litigation involving intellectual property assets, including trademark, trade secret and copyright infringement and defense, licensing disputes, "cybersquatting," customs enforcement and other areas.  Our attorneys have experience in the areas of unfair competition, false advertising and related antitrust and First Amendment issues, which enables us to help clients structure their operations and agreements and minimize the effect of unfair competition.

Pedersen & Houpt has extensive experience in evaluating and registering trademarks, trade names, service marks, copyrights and internet domain names and maintains a proprietary database to provide ongoing monitoring services for state and federal trademark, copyright and patent filings and website registrations.  Our attorneys also regularly counsel clients regarding advertising compliance and proper usage of their intellectual property assets.  In addition, our attorneys assist clients to transfer and perfect security interests in intangible assets and work with attorneys in our mergers and acquisition practice to review intellectual property filings and policies as part of the merger, acquisition or divestiture due diligence process.

The following are some specific examples of our Intellectual Property experience:

• Pedersen & Houpt represented a national retailer in connection with the establishment of its first comprehensive, interactive e-commerce site.  Our attorneys drafted and negotiated the client's website development and web hosting agreements, software licenses, fulfillment and distribution agreements, website terms of use and privacy policies.
  
  
• Pedersen & Houpt represents one of the country's leading manufacturers of specialty, high-tech industrial components in connection with the negotiation of development and supply agreements for custom-made manufacturing parts.
  
  
• Pedersen & Houpt represented a software consulting company to develop standardized software licenses and sublicenses, maintenance and support agreements and consulting services agreements.
  
  
• Pedersen & Houpt represented a manufacturing client in connection with a multi-tiered licensing arrangement for the development and commercial exploitation of innovative microvalve technology and patents.
  
  
• Pedersen & Houpt represented an investment brokerage firm in connection with the licensing of financial and industry data from national data warehouses.
  
  
• Pedersen & Houpt developed a long-term trademark protection program for a national education company and represents that company in pursuing and prosecuting trademark infringers.
  
  
• Pedersen & Houpt represented a client in the qualification of their website with TRUSTe, a leading privacy verification organization located in Cupertino, California.
  
  
• Pedersen & Houpt represented a wire forming manufacturing company that engaged in a series of acquisitions in evaluating the title and potential litigation issues involving the intellectual property assets owned by the businesses to be purchased.  Our attorneys also assisted this client in re-registering the purchased intellectual property assets with the United States Patent and Trademark Office and consulted with the client on various ongoing maintenance requirements.