Intellectual Property and Technology

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Intellectual Property and Technology

Intellectual property and technology law is what we do all day: patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets, and the contracts that move technology between companies, handled by attorneys who built software before they practiced law.

MC Law is an IP and technology firm started by former software engineers, so when you explain your invention or your product, you are talking to someone who can actually follow it. We help you secure rights in your ideas, write the agreements that put those ideas to work, and step in when someone crosses the line. The goal is simple: turn your technical and creative work into assets you control and can build a business on.

Patents, Trademarks, And More

Most companies need more than one kind of protection, and the pieces have to fit together. We file and prosecute patents for inventions, build trademark portfolios that hold up as your brand grows, register copyrights for software and creative work, and set up trade secret practices that keep your confidential edge confidential. Our attorneys come from software, electronics, mechanical engineering, and the sciences, so the technical substance gets handled correctly the first time, not relearned on your bill.

Technology Deals And Licensing

Technology agreements decide who owns what, who is liable when things break, and how money flows. We draft and negotiate software licenses and development agreements, technology transfer and collaboration deals, cloud and SaaS contracts, R&D partnerships, and open source compliance. Because we read the code as readily as the contract, we catch the gaps between what the lawyers wrote and what the engineers will actually ship, which is where most disputes start.

Disputes And Enforcement

When a deal goes sideways or a competitor copies your work, you need counsel who can carry the matter through. We handle IP and technology disputes in federal district court, before the International Trade Commission, in Patent Trial and Appeal Board proceedings, and on appeal to the Federal Circuit. We assess the technical merits and the cost-benefit honestly up front, so you decide whether to fight, settle, or design around with clear information rather than wishful thinking.

Counsel Built For Technology Companies

You should not have to translate your business into plain English for your lawyers before they can help. We work the way technology companies work: fast, specific, and grounded in how the product is actually built and sold. Whether you are protecting a first invention, cleaning up a portfolio before a financing, or untangling a vendor relationship, you get advice that is practical, technically literate, and aimed at what you are trying to accomplish.

Frequently asked questions

Four main types: patents for inventions, trademarks for your brand names and logos, copyrights for creative and written work (including software), and trade secrets for confidential information like formulas or customer lists. Most companies use a mix. Which ones matter most depends on what you make, what your competitors are doing, and where your real value sits.

Before you start building, if you can. Getting in early lets you check whether your product steps on anyone else's patents (a freedom-to-operate review) and lock in your own filing strategy. Fixing IP problems after launch is almost always slower and more expensive than planning for them up front.

Most technology deals are really IP deals in disguise. A software license, a SaaS subscription, or a technology transfer all turn on who owns what, who can use it, and how it's protected. You need someone who understands both the legal rights and how the underlying technology and business model actually work.

An IP audit is a structured review of everything your company owns or relies on: what IP you have, whether it's properly protected, and where the gaps are. It's especially useful before a sale, an investment round, or any major strategic decision, because that's when undocumented or unprotected IP tends to become a problem.

You have to take reasonable steps to keep the information secret, or it stops being a trade secret. That means NDAs, limiting who can access it, training employees, and having a clear process when people leave. Unlike a patent, a trade secret can last forever, but the protection disappears the moment the information gets out.

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