International
From Patterson IP’s base in Nashville, Tennessee, the experienced Patterson IP team provides intellectual property protection to clients around the globe, helping clients secure foreign patents and trademark registrations, obtain ITC § 337 exclusion orders blocking importation of counterfeit goods, manage international licensing with foreign partners and manufacturers, and more.
International Patent Protection
The Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) is a multinational patent law treaty that provides a unified process for filing patent applications in multiple countries simultaneously. The PCT is a filing system, meaning that each country that accepts a PCT application grants its own patent. Inventors can seek country-specific patent protection using a single, consolidated process. PCT applications can be advantageous to applicants, often reducing cost and extending the deadline for filing compared to filing in each country separately.
Our attorneys are intimately familiar with the PCT filing process. We help clients strategize where and whether to file as well as prosecute PCT applications. We also work with foreign counsel to ensure clients’ patents are protected as broadly as possible, including through direct filing of patent applications in foreign patent offices.
Global Trademark Protection
The Madrid Protocol treaty allows trademark owners to seek registration in any of the member countries by filing a single application. International applications are administered by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), in Geneva, Switzerland.
If the application is approved, it is then submitted for protection in each applied-for jurisdiction. An application under the Madrid Protocol can provide several benefits to trademark owners seeking recognition of their trademark rights worldwide. The process can result in significantly lower application fees, and the filing can be made in a single language as opposed to requiring translation for each individual country.
Patterson IP helps clients obtain and enforce their trademarks worldwide. Our trademark attorneys have broad experience with the Madrid Protocol and can advise on international trademark registration and enforcement.
World Enforcement
The U.S. and foreign countries have various mechanisms for IP registration and enforcement. A business can initiate an unfair import investigation in the International Trade Commission (ITC). These investigations, referred to as Section 337 actions, can result in an exclusion order that prohibits the importation and sale of any articles in the United States which infringe on any U.S. patent, trademark, or copyright or otherwise constitute unfair competition.
Investigations are brought by IP rightsholders before the ITC to block the importation of infringing materials, such as counterfeit goods at U.S. ports of entry. These investigations can be a powerful enforcement tool for preventing the spread of counterfeit or infringing goods. They can also pose significant challenges to resellers, importers, and logistics companies if they find their goods subject to a Section 337 claim.
Patterson IP’s attorneys have significant experience with ITC investigations, both in enforcement and defense. We frequently assist clients with managing claims offensively and defensively, including managing Section 337 claims as part of a comprehensive enforcement strategy worldwide. We also work alongside corporate and foreign counsel to ensure our clients have the most effective global IP protection strategy for their business objectives.