Partners Ryan Schneider and Michael Hobbs are published in the Daily Report for their byline about how technology and the internet are affecting intellectual property attorneys. The pair discuss the increasing volume of trademark and patent applications, challenges associated with the internet of things ("IoT"), mobile technology and social media, and offer tips for managing increased workload and technology. They write, "With the further saturation of internet-enabled technologies, counsel increasingly will depend upon an array of patent specialists to implement new best practices for filing and for enforcement of IP rights and avoiding IP infringement in this similarly vast scope of technologies... Going after every social media or domain name misuse likewise will quickly overwhelm any IP department. Rather, confirming with business units what uses and registrations deserve attention and legal challenge, and which ones should continue to be monitored." They conclude, writing, "For good or bad, the internet is obviously not going away, and the IP departments that align their trademark and patent strategies in collaboration with their business units to manage the wave of increasing demands and issues will stand the best chances of success."
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
