Intellectual Property Rights Advisory & Protection Services your Brand Needs

A brand is usually the result of intentional effort, but rarely protected with equal care. It is often launched on the market before a trademark office registers it as a trademark. A name and a logo are developed by a founder without checking if they are available, or if another company has trademark rights in a similar sign. A company builds intellectual property, writes code for years before an investor asks to show proof of ownership, and then it turns out that a former employee who left the company never signed an IP assignment agreement, and technically still holds rights to code, the same thing that the company has been relying on for years. A company provides a distributor with content under a supposedly exclusive license, but the distributor turns out to sublicense this content to third parties, including those who do not have consent from the original company.

Intellectual property is the most valuable asset that a company owns, which, however, is most often protected in the most informal way. This is the area of ​​law in which disputes often arise over whether the underlying right exists in the first place. While a dispute in other areas of law is initially based on the terms of the agreement, in intellectual property law, even the existence of the subject of the disagreement, that is, intellectual property, may be questioned. The trademark was not registered, the patent was not applied for, the assignment of intellectual property ownership was not documented. When developing a computer program, it is necessary to know who owns the code, which may seem simple, but if the code was not written exclusively by the company’s employees and the assignment of rights was not properly documented, this can significantly complicate matters.

The application for a patent, on the other hand, may turn out to be invalid because, just before applying for it, the details of the invention were published in the press or on the web. The existence of intellectual property rights is often disputed precisely because it is not initially correctly standardized, which is why this issue requires special attention and understanding. Corrida Legal helps firms protect their intellectual property by providing trademark searches, filings, and prosecution in India, as well as structuring trademark portfolios for multinational corporations that require extensive trademark management and global trademark renewal. We also help in registering copyrights for literary, artistic, musical, and computer software works, as well as draw up the necessary licensing and content rights agreements for the protection and commercial use of works. We help assess the patentability of inventions, file patent applications in India and internationally, and structure patent strategies that align with a business's actual commercial objectives. For organizations that want to create and implement innovations, we discuss the most promising options for patent strategies, both in the domestic and foreign patent systems, taking into account the specifics of each particular case. We also assist in structuring patent portfolios, both within the framework of national patent law and using the PCT system (Patent Cooperation Treaty), which allows for a more organized protection of intellectual property around the world, as well as saving on costs.

Our intellectual property lawyers analyze agreements for IP use, transfer, and technology transfer, and provides assistance in drawing up and revising various contracts, including franchise agreements, and IP-related confidentiality undertakings. In addition, we help raise awareness among businesses about the importance of protecting intellectual property and analyze the risks associated with using and protecting intellectual property. Beyond this, we also assist in IP due diligence and IP portfolio audits to broaden the commercial positioning of the practice. We are also engaged in analyzing and valuing intellectual property as part of a deal, as well as responding to disputes that arise during an IP audit, which may involve challenging or defending trademark, copyright or patent infringements.

Our approach to helping companies protect their intellectual property assets is based on several key principles: registration, structuring, and commercialization of intellectual property, as well as its protection in the context of specific cases. A large number of our services are related to the preparation of documents for the state registration of intellectual property. However, this type of activity is only part of the process. It is no less important to properly verify the agreements and documents that determine the use of intellectual property, including technology transfer agreements, licensing agreements, IP assignments, and franchise agreements. In the event of an IP dispute, we also represent the client at the stage of challenging or defending a trademark infringement claim, opposing a trademark application, or participating in court proceedings over intellectual property disputes. Nonetheless, our goal is to eliminate the need for such disputes by ensuring that IP is properly protected from the start.