When it comes to protecting a business’s intellectual property rights, not all contracts are created equal. Sometimes companies turn to boilerplate, standard contracts to protect themselves. Unfortunately, without the help of a civil lawyer, a boilerplate contract may not protect you from litigation down the road. When drafting, negotiating, and litigating intellectual property contracts, it’s crucial that you work with a skilled Pittsburgh contract lawyer.
The Benefit of Discussing Your Case With a Lawyer
At Jones Gregg Creehan & Gerace, our intellectual property practice protects from copyrights and trademarks to licensing and technology transfers. We work hard to ensure that our clients obtain as much value as possible from their assets by protecting their intellectual property rights. Contact our business law attorney to learn more about our intellectual property contract services.
Intellectual Property Contract Services
At Jones Gregg Creehan & Gerace, our experienced intellectual property lawyers have extensive experience drafting various intellectual property contracts, including:
- Intellectual property assignment agreement
- Non-disclosure agreement
- Technology licensing or technology transfer agreement
- Trademark licensing and franchising agreement
- Copyright licensing agreement
- Inventions assignment agreement
- Music license agreement
- E-book publishing agreement
- Independent contract agreement
- Research and development agreements
Drafting an Intellectual Property Contract
Drafting and agreeing to an intellectual contract is a crucial part of doing business. In addition to needing a well-written and thorough contract, companies also benefit from understanding the contract itself and how it will be implemented. At Jones Gregg Creehan & Gerace, we carefully discuss our clients’ goals and needs before carefully drafting an intellectual property contract that will meet those needs. We discuss the contract with our clients to understand their obligations under the contract and what they’ll receive in exchange. Our intellectual property attorneys are happy to answer questions our clients have to ensure they understand their rights and obligations.
Intellectual Property Assignment Agreement
In an intellectual property assignment contract, one party agrees to allow the other party to use intellectual property rights in exchange for royalties or a set amount of compensation. The original owner of the intellectual property transfers his right to sell or develop the intellectual property to another person or legal entity. All of the following types of intellectual property can be assigned under federal law:
- Patents
- Trademarks
- Designs
- Copyright
- Confidential know-how
- Geographical indications
Non-Disclosure Agreement
Many businesses enter into non-disclosure agreements with customers, employees, and others who receive access to their confidential intellectual property. Businesses protect trade secrets, business plans, structures, codes, technologies, and more through non-disclosure agreements. Additionally, businesses may require incoming employees to sign a non-disclosure agreement. Working with a skilled lawyer to draft a non-disclosure agreement for your company can help you protect your intellectual property and your business.
Website-Related Agreements
Depending on the service you are offering, you may benefit from several different types of website-related intellectual property rights contracts. Jones Gregg Creehan & Gerace can assist you with drafting an acceptable use policy that ensures your employees are educated on acceptable behavior, domain name information, and hosting contracts. We can also help you create an outsourcing agreement for affiliates and contractors, offering our experienced legal advice on drafting various website agreements.
Software, Photography, Content, and Media-Related Contracts
There are many different types of agreements required for content and software services. These agreements include distribution contracts, software development contracts, cooperation agreements, revenue share agreements, and publishing agreements. Ensuring that you have thorough and well-written contracts will help you save time, money, and stress down the road while protecting your intellectual property.
Other Commercial Contracts Involving Intellectual Property
The intellectual property lawyers at Jones Gregg Creehan & Gerace have extensive experience drafting a wide range of commercial contracts that involve intellectual property protection, including the following:
- Sponsorship contracts
- Web development contracts
- Email marketing contracts
- Confidentiality agreements
- Copyright-related contracts
- Shareholder and business partnership contracts
- Investment or joint venture contracts
- Crowdfunding agreements
- Purchase of business agreements
Important Clauses in Intellectual Property Contracts
Intellectual property contracts deal with a wide range of property rights that can be assigned or licensed to another company or person. The clauses in these contracts are important and should be drafted with caution and care. There are several main elements in every intellectual property contract, and it’s important that you work with an attorney who can successfully draft these provisions into your intellectual property contract.
Confidentiality
Confidentiality clauses are crucial for protecting the owner of the intellectual property. Extra security measures need to be undertaken to protect intellectual property. Confidentiality clauses stop the parties to the contract from disclosing the Integrity of the intellectual property. Some intellectual property, such as trademarks, copyrights, and patents, are published and freely accessible. However, owners can still protect the steps and information related to producing business results with intellectual property.
Ownership of the Intellectual Property
The contract needs to state in a clear fashion who the owner of the intellectual property will be and for how long. In other words, the contract should state the property’s ownership status, even if the relationship between the parties ends up being terminated. For example, a situation can arise where the employee who created the intellectual property seeks to take the property with him when he leaves the company. It’s also crucial that the contract states the repercussions for breach of contract. The contract should make the penalties for breach of the contract clear.
Discuss Your Case With a Pittsburgh Intellectual Property Lawyer
Our Pittsburgh intellectual property lawyers at Jones Gregg Creehan & Gerace have extensive experience negotiating and drafting intellectual property contracts. We’ve represented clients in many different industries ranging from technology to retail. From copyrights and trademarks to licensing and technology transfers, our intellectual property attorneys know how to draft and negotiate thorough and accurate contracts. Contact Jones Gregg Creehan & Gerace today to learn more about our intellectual property contract drafting services.