Services

PATENTS

Patents provide protection for novel subject matter in the form of an apparatus, method, system or plant that has never been written about or practiced before.  Mr. Furlow has prepared patents in the technical areas of software/business methods, mechanical and electrical.  These have specifically included methods for bundling mortgage securities, advertising and foreign language instruction; apparatus patents for medical devices, electro-mechnical devices and novelty items.  Mr. Furlow has filed and prosecuted patent applications in the European Union, Canada, Australia, Mexico and the United States.  Other patent related services include assignments, licensing, patentability searches and patent clearance searches.

TRADE SECRETS

Trade Secrets include sensitive proprietary data that has limited access.  Trade secrets can include client lists, pricing strategies, manufacturing processes and formulas.  Mr. Furlow has advised clients on how to identify and protect trade secrets and on litigating the misappropriation of trade secrets.

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

Ideas, tangible or not, are the most important things to protect in today’s competitive creative market. With so many channels and constantly replenishing feeds to watch out for, tracing the ownership and originality of a design, brand name, or invention needs the laser-focused eye of a trained attorney. We’ll handle the search, application, and filing process of trademarks, copyrights, and patents. And if your idea has been infringed upon, our litigation team will negotiate the best possible licensing and settlement agreements.

Defamation & Image Rights

Maintaining the integrity of your public image is an inseparable part of your business, whether you’re a creative individual or a small company. Protecting your privacy and your public image from slander and libel is only one side of the coin; negotiating sponsorships, public appearances, and endorsements is the other. Our firm advises on both, offering litigation and dispute resolution, defamation (pre and post publication), and other image protection mechanisms—all so you can amplify and control the way you want the world to see you.

TRADEMARKS

Trademarks are a core aspect of a business that identify the source of a product or service with that business.  Trademarks can also be associated with a good will or quality of a product or service.  Trademark law protects the rights of a business in the stream of interstate commerce to distinctly identify their product or services, limitations on the use of advertising and extends to encompass domain names.  Mr. Furlow has filed and prosecuted trademarks for goods and services that include drinks, foods, recycling, construction materials, medical therapies, internet based sales of works of art, dental services, pet sitting and novelty items.  He has filed and prosecuted trademarks in the European Union, Australia and the United States. 

BUSINESS LAW

Intellectual property rights are routinely implemented through various business agreements.  Mr. Furlow has prepared and advised on a broad range of business agreements that include licenses, assignments, consent agreements, investment agreements and distribution agreements.  These business agreements transfer certain intellectual property rights and reserve other rights to the owner of the intellectual property.  Mr. Furlow has also been involved in the securing of business rights related to imports, insurance and the United States Customs and Border Protection.

COPYRIGHTS

Copyright protection extends across a broad range of works from traditional creative works of art such as writings, sculptures and two-dimensional sketches and paintings to creative works that use more recent technologies such as films, sound recordings, videos, websites and software code.  Mr. Furlow has filed registered copyrights for written works, creative works of art, songs, websites and software code.   He has advised on the protecting of rights associated with copyrights.

 INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY LITIGATION

Intellectual property related litigation can take place at the United States Patent and Trademark Office, in State Courts and in Federal Courts.  Mr. Furlow has conducted Federal litigation at the United States Patent and Trademark Office, in the Southern District of New York, Eastern District of New York and in New Jersey.  Litigation is often started in the smaller forum of the United States Patent and Trademark Office and can involve challenges to the legitimacy of a trademark or patent, but these same issues can be litigated in a more expensive forum of the Federal Courts which generally have the final resolution of trademark and patent issues.  Additional Federal issues include trade secrets and unauthorized use of images that cause a likelihood of confusion of an endorsement, for example.  State Courts often handle intellectual property business law issues that can include contracts associated with intellectual property rights, defamation and the unauthorized use of images for commercial purposes.