Industries

Computer, Software & Internet

“Moore’s Law”—the famous prediction that the number of transistors on an integrated circuit would double every 24 months (for the same price)—has nowhere had more profound impact than in the computer, software, and internet industries. The rate of innovation this has enabled is unprecedented: Today’s entry-level laptop contains more processing power by far than the Apollo 11 spacecraft.

The 24/7 availability of the web has created entire new industries at the same time that it has shaken others to their roots. And in the digital and online worlds, the instant availability of cut-and-paste has brought new challenges to businesses relying on protected intellectual property, including:

Magazines, newspapers, and traditional publishing
Entertainment, including record and music companies and now TV networks and movie studios
The software industry itself, which estimates that worldwide, about 40% of all software in use is illegally pirated, costing the industry $12-15 billion annually in lost revenue.

The brave new online world has also empowered those with a complaint about companies, justified or otherwise, to launch attack websites which often misappropriate the trademarks, logos, or simply the name of the targeted firms.

Finally, much of the hardware and software that powers the computers we take for granted, as well as the internet itself, contains the protected intellectual property of firms and individuals.

As we see it, intellectual property law has had a central role to play in the development of these industries, and it remains at center stage today. The complex interaction of patents, copyrights, and licenses—some going back decades—can trip up even the most sophisticated firms: Consider that in 2006 Research in Motion®, maker of the ubiquitous BlackBerry, chose to pay over $600-million to the relatively tiny NTP, Inc. to resolve charges of patent infringement.

In this high-stakes and uncertain landscape, can you afford to take chances?

At Amster, Rothstein& Ebenstein LLP, our lawyers have the seasoned perspective on intellectual property law—together with intimate familiarity with the most cutting-edge developments—to help guide you through the complexities.

Amster Rothstein & Ebenstein, LLP - Intellectual Property Law

Industries

Computer, Software & Internet

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