Intellectual Property Lawyers — What They Do & When You Need One

Intellectual property protects what you create: trademarks for brand names and logos, copyrights for creative and software works, patents for inventions, and trade-secret law for confidential know-how. IP lawyers register and clear rights, license them, and enforce them against infringers — or defend you when someone claims you infringed. Patent prosecution requires a separately licensed patent attorney.

What a intellectual property lawyer does

Clears and registers trademarks with the USPTO and responds to office actions
Registers copyrights and drafts licenses and work-for-hire agreements
Sends and responds to cease-and-desist letters and DMCA notices
Litigates infringement and trade-secret misappropriation

When you need a intellectual property lawyer

You are launching a brand, product or app
Someone is copying your name, logo, content or design
You received a cease-and-desist or infringement claim
You are licensing content or hiring developers and designers

Questions to ask before you hire a intellectual property lawyer

Is my name actually registrable, and what will the search cost?
Should I register federally, in my state, or both?
How do you price trademark filings and office-action responses?
If I need a patent, are you registered to practice before the USPTO?

Find a intellectual property lawyer near you

Choose your state to see listed firms and the official bar directory for verifying any lawyer’s license.