Corporations and entities that have Intellectual Property at the core of their business have added challenges when dealing with creating, marketing, monetizing and profiting from their creations. SHERMAN IP attorneys advise clients from the creation of their Intellectual Property to the completion of all transactions relating to their Intellectual Property. SHERMAN IP attorneys are specialists in many technological arenas, including computer software, consumer products, e-commerce and social media, and all levels of engineering. Our specialized knowledge provides our clients a competitive advantage when negotiating transactions about their technology. Because of the variety of our clients’ business endeavors, SHERMAN IP attorneys are constantly evolving their transaction strategies.
Transactions
A Transaction occurs when a product or service is used which requires licensing or permission. Transactions may include a usage fee but can also be conveyed via a written agreement of specified alternative terms.
Licensing Transactions
Licensing Transactions occur when one party or company gives another party or company permission to use or manufacture its product or service for a specified fee. This can be a great growth and profit center for a company and SHERMAN IP attorneys are skilled in all areas of high technology product licensing. We thoroughly educate ourselves about the licensed product before any agreements are drafted. We can also help with a client’s interest in licensing an existing property or product and guide you through the steps (from research to application) and costs involved in such ventures. Our clients who procure licenses are naturally concerned with receiving a healthy ROI (return on investment) and part of our strategy is to investigate re-sale restraints and use restrictions so that a license isn’t exhausted beyond its ability to generate profit. We also work to ensure that our clients don’t lose their rights to a license due to loopholes and undisclosed information pertaining to the licensed property. There are often instances where a product can only be licensed for use in a specific market. We determine the applicable markets in advance of license purchase so that usage and ROI isn’t jeopardized or lost.
Joint Ventures
Joint Ventures consist of an agreement between individuals or companies who wish to engage in the development of a new entity or body of assets. A joint venture is generally created for a specified and finite period of time and a Joint Venture agreement should be crafted to outline how expenses, revenues and assets are shared between the venturing parties. These ventures can be applied to one product or invention or a continuing business with new entities that require a co-venture agreement. SHERMAN IP attorneys will assess the need for a joint venture to be structured and craft the necessary documents that fully constitute the joint agreement. While joint ventures can be great profit generators for both parties, without a strong and clear contract in place, these deals can, and often do, fall apart quickly. The SHERMAN IP team will work with all parties involved in the venture to look for potential traps to strengthen the foundation of the venture.