Services
Furman IP Law & Strategy PC provides the full range of IP prosecution and advisory services to Canadian businesses. The following outlines what we do and how we can help.
Patent Services
Patents protect novel inventions — new products, processes, compositions, and the like. A granted Canadian patent gives you the exclusive right to make, use, and sell your invention for up to 20 years from the date of filing. Filing strategy, timing, and claim scope all materially affect the value of the protection you ultimately obtain.
We assist clients with patentability assessments and prior art searches; Canadian patent application drafting and prosecution; responding to Examiner’s Reports and office actions; PCT international filing strategy and national phase entry; foreign filing coordination through our network of international associates; maintenance and portfolio management; and patent infringement analysis and enforcement strategy.
Trademark Services
A trademark is the identifier that distinguishes your goods and services from those of your competitors. Registered trademark rights are significantly stronger than unregistered rights — and significantly easier to enforce. Early clearance searching and a sound filing strategy are the foundations of a strong trademark position.
We assist clients with trademark availability and clearance searches; registrability opinions; Canadian trademark application filing and prosecution; responding to Examiner’s Reports; opposition and expungement proceedings; international trademark protection through the Madrid Protocol and direct foreign filings; domain name issues; and trademark licensing and assignment.
Copyright Services
Copyright arises automatically in original literary, artistic, dramatic, and musical works, computer programs, and other protected subject matter — but registration, proper chain of title, and enforcement strategy all require attention. Many businesses significantly underestimate the copyright issues embedded in their day-to-day operations.
We assist clients with copyright registration in Canada; ownership and chain of title analysis; copyright licensing and assignment; infringement analysis; and international copyright issues.
Industrial Design Services
An industrial design registration protects the visual features of a commercially produced article — its shape, configuration, pattern, or ornamentation. It is distinct from a patent, which protects function, and from a trademark, which protects source identification. For products where appearance is a competitive differentiator, design registration is worth considering.
We assist clients with design registrability assessments; Canadian industrial design application filing and prosecution; international design protection strategy; and design infringement analysis.
Advisory Services
Not every IP question involves a filing. Many of the most valuable conversations I have with clients are about strategy — what to protect, when to protect it, how to structure ownership, and how to maximize the return on IP investment.
Advisory work includes IP audits and portfolio reviews; freedom to operate analysis; IP due diligence for transactions; licensing strategy and agreement review; and general IP strategy counsel. This work is available on a standalone basis or as part of an ongoing advisory relationship.
