Advanced IP Workshop—Best Practices and Case Studies on U.S. Design Rights, Trade Dress, and Non-Traditional Trademarks

Finnegan’s Shanghai Office will host the next session in its Advanced Intellectual Property Seminar Program series. This program features Finnegan attorneys Elizabeth D. Ferrill, B. Brett Heavner, and Yinfei Wu discussing Best Practices and Case Studies on U.S. Design Rights, Trade Dress, and Non-Traditional Trademarks.

Elizabeth Ferrill will present "How Chinese Companies Can Take Advantage of U.S. Design Rights." The United States has a flexible, powerful system for protection of physical designs, such as tires, medical devices, and electronics, as well as virtual designs, such as graphical user interfaces and icons. Today, many innovative companies include design patents as an integral part of their IP portfolios. Come and learn why companies turn to design protection and how to procure comprehensive protection in the U.S. system. We will also discuss some recent design patent enforcement activities through case studies.

Brett Heavner will present "Protecting Your Image Using U.S. Trade Dress and Non-Traditional Trademark Registrations." U.S. law recognizes that a business’s reputation is embodied not only in traditional word marks and logos, but also in product packaging, product configuration (known as trade dress), and other non-traditional trademarks, including color schemes, sounds, fragrances, and even motions or gestures associated with that business. Indeed, if properly protected, these lesser known types of trademark protection can ultimately become famous, highly valuable corporate assets. U.S. law even contemplates that some designs may be protected by design patents and later as trade dress. This seminar will outline strategies to assist you in recognizing your business’s potential use of these trademark types, registering them with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, and enforcing your rights against trademark piracy.

Yinfei Wu will present "Protecting Product Designs Under U.S. Copyright Law." Many aspects of product design also qualify as “works of authorship” under U.S. law and thus can be protected by copyright. The U.S. Supreme Court recently clarified this concept in its March 2016 decision, Star Athletica v. Varsity Brands. The seminar will discuss how this decision impacts the use of U.S. copyright law in protecting product design.

Moderator: 
Ningling Wang

Speakers: 

Elizabeth D. Ferrill 
B. Brett Heavner 
Yinfei Wu

Date: Tuesday, 16 May 2017

Agenda:

13:00 - 13:30    Registration
13:30 - 13:40    Welcome Remarks
13:40 - 14:50    How Chinese Companies Can Take Advantage of the U.S. Design Rights
14:50 - 15:10    Coffee Break
15:10 - 16:20    Protecting Your Image Using U.S. Trade Dress and Non-Traditional Trademark Registrations
16:20 - 17:00    Protecting Product Designs Under U.S. Copyright Law
17:00 - 17:30    Questions and Answers

RSVP:

RSVP by 10 May 2017 to ipeventshanghai@finnegan.com

Venue:

Shanghai Room, 2nd Floor
Shangri-La Pudong
No. 33 Fu Cheng Road, Shanghai