Trademark

Overview

Blank Rome has been recommended as a “top-of-the-line, well-established trademark practice” that “keeps a hawkish eye out for market changes, allowing it to troubleshoot branding quandaries before they arise.” Blank Rome is a “go-to destination for those seeking insightful advice on carving out and defending a unique identity in the marketplace.”

World Trademark Review 1000

A strong corporate identity is one of the most important components of any company’s global brand strategy. It starts with the establishment of a trademark to differentiate the product or service and create brand recognition and value in the marketplace. Improper trademark registration, protection, and policing can result in a significant impact to your business.

Our award-winning trademark attorneys offer a full range of services, from selection, development, contested proceedings, portfolio planning, and trademark clearance, to registration, use, and maintenance. The result of our work is a comprehensive brand strategy that helps companies manage their trademarks and develop brand reputation associated with those marks. Just as no trademark is the same, we promise to learn each client’s business and commercialization goals and craft our legal advice accordingly. We represent a wide range of clients, from startups to Fortune 500 companies, in a diverse range of industries, including consumer products, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, clothing and apparel, electronics, food service, communications equipment, specialty chemicals, computer hardware and software, and many more.

How We Can Help 

Trademark Prosecution

  • Global trademark searching and filing, including multi-country trademark clearance and filings
  • Preparation and prosecution of trademark applications

Trademark Enforcement and Litigation

  • Trademark and trade dress infringement, unfair competition and anti-counterfeiting actions 
  • Comprehensive online brand enforcement, takedowns, U.S. copyright DMCA actions, and monitoring
  • Domain name and keyword strategies and cybersquatting enforcement
  • Oppositions and cancellations worldwide
  • Customs and border protection and registration

Trademark Licensing and Transactions

  • Domestic and international licensing
  • Trademark due diligence in mergers and acquisitions

Portfolio Development, Management & Strategy

  • Development, selection, clearance, and adoption of trademarks, trade dress, service marks, and trade name
  • Portfolio audits
  • Portfolio planning
  • Development of  global trademark protection and enforcement programs
  • Educational seminars in the use and protection of trademarks

Trademark Litigation

Litigation is one of many tools that may be necessary to achieve your business objectives, including protecting the value of your brand, securing trade secrets, and preventing counterfeiting and piracy. Our trademark litigators bring significant experience as lead counsel in major trademark cases of infringement claims, misappropriation of trade dress and related acts of unfair competition, passing-off, and false advertising, both in U.S. federal district and appellate courts, as well as other tribunals. We are also active before the TTAB in inter partes trademark cancellation and opposition proceedings. 

Domain Names

Domain names go hand-in-hand with a company’s trademark portfolio, and we have a long history of success in the domain name space, starting with the earliest registrations for .com and .net domains and the introduction of the Uniform Dispute Resolution Policy, up to the more recent introductions of gTLDS and the various sunrise protection mechanisms introduced in recent years.

Additionally, we have a strong network of domain acquisition specialists, and work vigorously to negotiate, document, and obtain ownership of premium domain names when needing to introduce new identities to the market. 

What Sets Us Apart

Blank Rome has earned a reputation as one of the top law firms in intellectual property in the United States.

  • 2011–2023 World Trademark Review (Globe Business Media Group) recognized the firm for its trademark practice.
  • 2023 U.S. News & World Report—Best Lawyers®(Woodward/White, Inc.) nationally ranks:
    • Litigation – Intellectual Property
    • Litigation – Patent
    • Patent Law
  • 2023 Chambers USA: ranked Blank Rome for Intellectual Property in Texas.
  • 2023 IAM Patent 1000 (Globe Business Media Group) listed Blank Rome in the D.C. Metro Area as recommended in the litigation and prosecution.
  • 2017 Managing IP – IP Stars (Euromoney Institutional Investor PLC): Recommended Intellectual Property Firm – Pennsylvania.
  • 2012–2013 Corsearch: Top 50 Trademark firm nationally based on volume of applications.

Team