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Is Your Intellectual Property Protected?

A Soyatech Webinar
Thursday, October 9, 2008  1:00 EDT

Whether your business is in the agro-foods industry or the business services industry, your business's livelihood may rely on intellectual capital, including new brands, new products, revised products, new processes, new methods or new machinery, among others. Being educated in your business's intangible products is crucial for a small enterprise, a regional company or a multi-national giant because patents, trade secrets, copyrights, and trademarks play a vital role in building value in your company and providing a competitive advantage in the marketplace.

Have you wondered:

• Are you branding a product or service, i.e., new seed?
• Is patent protection available for a new method of biofuel processing you are developing?
• Who owns your company's copyrights?
• Have you adequately protected your company's trade secrets?

This web-based seminar, "Is Your Intellectual Property Protected?," to be presented by attorneys from the McLane Law Firm (www.mclane.com) will help you become proactive about intellectual property rights -- a critical area of your business that may not be on your radar screen. You may expect to walk away from this webinar with both substantive and institutional value for your business.

You may not be the person responsible for intellectual property, but we will inform you on this topic so you may have a better understanding of how to identify various forms of intellectual property and how to give yourself a competitive advantage by protecting that property.

We will also discuss how to implement processes to prevent issues for your current and future patents, copyrights, trademarks and other intellectual property. This webinar will provide a methodology to protect your business's livelihood in the long term.

What is your competition doing?

Major Feed Ingredient Firm

• Holds dozens of patents. Clearly people in this industry are aware of the importance of patent protection.
• What steps did this firm take to clear and protect its brand name?

Major Food Ingredient Firm

• Has over 30 years' experience delivering biomass solutions worldwide. Did they patent their technology?
• Has three business segments focused on a healthy products portfolio promoting environmental responsibility and the health and well-being of its communities. Are you confident your business won't infringe on any of their patents?

What is your team doing?

Leading intellectual property attorneys Mark Wright and Scott Rand, from the McLane Law Firm, will provide an overview of the subject, including how to identify, protect and exploit your intellectual property rights. Their presentation will also provide some insight on how to guard against IP ownership disputes or potential IP infringement claims in instances such as where a company fails to clear a brand name (trademark) before use, fails to comply with the formal requirements of the copyright work-for-hire doctrine, or fails to protect, patent, or trade secret rights in an effective or timely manner.

This discussion of the protection of intellectual property rights encompasses these subjects:

• trademark/service mark protection, including selecting good trademarks, clearance of trademarks for use, registration options under state, federal, and international law and proper notice
• copyright protection, including works subject to copyright, creation of rights, work-for-hire doctrine, benefits of registration, proper notice
• patent protection, including types of patents, requirements for patentability, invention and inventorship, the patent application process
• trade secrets protection including protectable subject matter, factors considered in determining trade secret status, maintaining trade secret protection.

PRESENTERS ARE:

• Mark Wright, Director and Chair of Intellectual Property Group, McLane Law Firm
• Scott Rand, Senior Patent Attorney in Intellectual Property Group, McLane Law Firm

Register now to attend the live web-based presentation or to review the recorded program online at your convenience after the event.