For more than 60 years, Olive & Olive has been working globally.
We represent clients abroad in protecting and defending their intellectual property in the U.S. We assist U.S.-based clients who need foreign protection. We know the budgetary and strategic concerns that arise when an IP issue crosses national borders. Tough choices sometimes have to be made.
That’s where we come in. We’ll analyze the situation. We’ll prioritize what must be done now and what can wait. We’ll help you achieve your global intellectual property goals.
We protect your intellectual property overseas.
Rights granted under U.S. intellectual property law apply only in the U.S. They have no effect in a foreign country.
Other countries have their own intellectual property laws. These can differ significantly. In some circumstances, international treaties provide some uniformity. But their application depends on how the treaty is interpreted and what type of intellectual property (patent, trademark, copyright, etc.) is involved.
To protect your intellectual property in another country, you generally must seek protection at either a national (country) level or a regional (e.g. European Union) level. This requires legal counsel with knowledge of national, regional and international IP law.
Copyrights, Patents, Trademarks in the global marketplace
Can I enforce my copyright overseas? Do my patents apply outside the U.S.? What about my trademark?
These are all complex questions. We have the answers.
In most cases, copyrights are protected outside the U.S. without requiring you to do anything other than use proper marking to give notice of your copyright claim. Trademarks and patents, on the other hand, typically require that applications be filed, either on a country-by-country or regional basis, or through an international protocol stemming from an international treaty.
Trademark applications can be filed at any time, although rights may be lost if someone else applies earlier. Patent applications, on the other hand, must be filed within one year of the date of filing of a U.S. application. Patent protection may not be available at all if the invention was publicly disclosed before a first application for protection was filed.
See what we mean about complex?
Don’t take chances. The IP lawyers at Olive & Olive know how to work with the international organizations that govern global intellectual property protection – most importantly WIPO and ICANN.)
What is the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)?
The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) is the global forum for intellectual property services, policy, information and cooperation. Its stated mission is to lead the development of a balanced and effective international intellectual property system to enable innovation and creativity for the benefit of all. WIPO administers some 26 treaties related to Intellectual Property protection, including the Madrid Protocol and the Patent Cooperation Treaty.
Olive & Olive has a global reach
We can do much of the work to protect your intellectual property assets – regardless of the countries affected or the treaties involved – entirely from our U.S. offices.
We can obtain international trademark registrations under the Madrid Protocol. We can file patent applications under the Patent Cooperation Treaty. We can prepare and exchange license agreements with parties in other countries. If foreign counsel is required, we have long-time working relationships with top attorneys on every continent and in most nations.
- We have appeared with our clients before tribunals ranging from Canada to Japan.
- We have traveled around the globe with our clients when they need support to reach successful negotiated outcomes.
- We have helped our clients file applications to protect their intellectual property in most nations of the world.
- Many of our attorneys and staff speak languages in addition to English.
- We have translators at the ready when necessary.
Find out what leading pharmaceutical innovators, fast-growing Internet technology companies, and established multinational corporations already know. The distinguished international intellectual property team at Olive and Olive is the place to go for your global intellectual property and technology law needs.