You need a practical, cost-effective intellectual property (IP) strategy that achieves the goals of your business. We collaborate with you to develop and implement your strategy, through the registration of IP rights, commercialization, enforcement, and protection of your IP in the jurisdictions where you need it. This leaves you free to get back to the field, the lab, or the prototype, and the next brilliant idea. It is important to have experienced counsel to help as you negotiate confidentiality agreements, license agreements and IP purchase-and-sale agreements. We also provide advice on disputes, litigation, infringement and enforcement of IP rights.
IP covers patents, confidential information, trademarks, copyrights, and industrial designs. It includes information, technology and any know-how that is not registrable but is nonetheless protectable.
IP rights apply across industries and sectors and include both the tangible and intangible:
- Equipment and process improvements and designs
- Ideas not yet reduced to practice
- Software, automation, and computer-based systems
- Know-how around making and operating improved equipment and processes, and
- Brands and marks that provide goodwill, and “trade dress" that can be used to a competitor's advantage
To learn more about how to protect and manage your intellectual property rights, visit:
Contact Laura MacFarlane at lmacfarlane@fieldlaw.com or 403-260-8577, or any one of our team of IP professionals to discuss your IP needs and get an initial assessment of your IP strategy. Click here to sign up to receive invitations to seminars, webinars and events as well as email alerts with the latest information on Intellectual Property + Technology.
The following services are offered by our lawyers and agents in this area of law:
- Patent application drafting and prosecution, searches, freedom-to-use analysis, infringement opinions, patent infringement, ownership disputes and expungement litigation; patent licensing
- Preparing, filing and prosecuting trademark, including US trademark, and copyright applications
- Assessing potential liability for infringement of intellectual property interests
- Assessing the types of intellectual property protection available for new technology
- Conducting intellectual property audits for the purpose of evaluating intellectual property portfolios
- Conducting intellectual property due diligence investigations in connection with business acquisitions and financing
- Developing strategies for the protection and commercialization of intellectual property interests
- Negotiating and preparing agreements for the sale and licensing of intellectual property interests
- Negotiating and preparing research and development agreements
- Providing intellectual property advice on the purchase and sale of businesses, employer/employee relationships and joint ventures
- Representing plaintiffs and defendants in trade secret, fiduciary duty, trademark, copyright, industrial design, patent litigation, and counterfeit goods litigation
What is intellectual property (IP), and how do you protect it? In this video series, we will explain what IP is, the types of IP your organization may have, and tips and practical considerations to help you protect, enforce, and commercialize your IP.
The Basics
Laura MacFarlane explains the four main types of IP and provides examples for each. It is important to be proactive when protecting these valuable assets, and the first step is identifying what your organization has so that you can take the necessary steps to mitigate issues in the future.
Who Owns a Company's Intellectual Property?
Richard Stobbe covers factors that determine whether employees or contractors own their creations under the Copyright Act and the Patent Act, as well as the importance of clear contractual agreements to safeguard valuable IP.
Is My Invention Patentable?
What is considered a patentable invention and how can you check to see if your invention qualifies? Charlene Lipchen explains the legal tests that your invention needs to pass, what can’t be patented, and how to assess whether your invention is patentable.
Timing Considerations for Filing a Patent Application
What counts as public disclosure of your invention, and can you still file a patent application afterward? Charlene Lipchen explains timing considerations you need to be aware of and best practices when it comes to patenting an invention in Canada or the United States.
Disclaimer: Information in these videos is for informational purposes only. It is not legal advice and should not be perceived as legal advice.