Tuesday, September 22, 2020

Responsibilities of an IP Attorney

Franciscus Ladejola Diaba is a technology and commercial transaction attorney at Johnson & Johnson in New Jersey. Besides negotiating various commercial and technology agreements, Franciscus Diaba advises his company on intellectual property matters.


Intellectual property (IP) refers to trademarks for business brands, patents for inventions, the copyright for literary and artistic works, and trade secrets for product recipes. These innovations and creations are essential to the companies and individuals that own them and form a core part of their brand. Thus, there's a need to take measures to protect them from theft and infringement, and that's where IP lawyers come in.

Intellectual property attorneys focus on protecting the owners of these copyrighted works, inventions, or creative thoughts from any form of intellectual theft. The services of IP lawyers are especially vital during periods of high economic productivity and creativity to safeguard emerging new creations and ideas.

Generally, IP attorneys are responsible for registering and protecting patents, trademarks, trade secrets, and design rights. They also enforce copyright protection for literary and artistic works. Furthermore, they litigate matters related to intellectual property.

In the event of a violation or infringement of a business or individual's intellectual property, an IP attorney steps in through litigation to seek justice. Usually, the company that has had its creative ideas violated seeks compensation. However, they might decide to issue the violator a cease and desist letter if they do not want financial reparation. Whichever the case, an IP lawyer is responsible for the entire procedure.