At RVL®, our team’s vision is to demystify intellectual property for our clients. A lot of our clients have had trouble in the past working with attorneys who kept them in the dark. They didn’t feel in control. They didn’t understand what was going on, and they felt powerless and helpless. We believe that talking to us about your patent or your trademark should be like having beers and talking about your kid’s baseball game. It should be that straightforward and that easy.

Trademarks

Patents

Copyrights

TRADEMARKS

One of the most difficult tasks when developing new business names, logos or products can be generating a strong trademark. Too often, new companies pick these names according to what would seem easy to advertise, which may not align well with trademark registrability. But don’t fret — we at RVL® are here to help you understand trademark considerations and make them work for you, protecting your ideas from infringement while also protecting you from outside claims of infringement.

RVL® offers a full spectrum of trademark-related services, including…

Trademark Search

You’re not going to get very far looking through googly eyes. Similarly, Google’s algorithmic eyes can only get you so far in identifying business and product names and logos that you’ll want to avoid. We’ve got you covered with trademark-specific databases and search platforms to comb not just ecommerce and store shelves but also corporate pre-market pipelines.

Trademark Search Opinion / Freedom to Operate

Trademark law is the law of confusion and dilution. What’s that mean? More than just avoiding names, phrases and graphics you see on store shelves. We can advise on what and why you need to avoid in going to launch.

Trademark Prosecution / Trademark Registration

Here’s a free tip: Examiners are government employees with quota-based metrics for advancement. Examiners have limited time to spend with your application and might actually be incentivized to act against you by the nature of the system. We use this information and other knowledge and experience to best position your trademark application for success from the outset.

Trademark Litigation

When someone is operating under your marks — or claiming you’re operating under theirs — your business faces serious risk. With so much at stake, you shouldn’t just hire any ol’ attorney. Times of trouble call for expertise…and we happen to be trademark ninjas (just check trademarkninjas.com).

Trademark Licensing

One of the best parts of creating a successful brand? Reaping the profits. But hey, we know this business is still your baby. So when you want to retain some control and not sell everything you’ve worked so hard for, it’s time to talk about licensing. We can help you maneuver in those deals with even the largest companies, stepping in to make sure you don’t get stepped on.

Trademark Strategy

What new brands and products are your competitors launching? Do you need to pursue state or federal trademark registration, and what’s the difference? Is your brand strategy effective in terms of building a robust trademark portfolio? How should your strategy change in international markets? We’re here to develop an optimal strategy for your venture.

Franchising

So you want to scale? Let us help you grow your kingdom (we see you, QUEENS) Did you know one of the most important aspects of franchising is IP? Well, you won’t get free legal advice from just anybody. We’re not only intellectual property specialists — we’ll guide you through financial structures, disclosure filings and all the nitty gritty in between.

PATENTS

A patent (or portfolio of patents) may be important for securing market position in a particular technology, or for distinctive positioning in a research grant application. A patent may be absolutely critical, as in the case of a novel biopharmaceutical where a company expends billions of dollars in development costs, or it may be subservient to other intellectual property rights or market strategies in fast-growth technology or creative content industries. The need for a patent is dependent upon numerous market considerations and should not be taken as an assumption.

Our patent-related services include…

Patent Search / Prior Art Search

We shake the trees, sift the sands, excavate the boulders…whatever it takes to identify prior art that might impact the ability to patent your invention.

Patent Search Opinion / Freedom to Operate

We’ve heard it a million times: “I know this industry and swear I’m the only one that’s come up with this.” Inevitably, we nearly always find something relevant in our prior art searches. Our goal, of course, is not to hamper your ability to patent or market your invention, but to best safeguard you in the marketplace. Our opinions provide you with the analysis you need to develop a patent claims strategy, proceed with an R&D plan, tailor your marketing, confidently discuss your ideas with investors and, often, save money.

Patent Prosecution / Patent Registration

With backgrounds in business development and entrepreneurship, our patent team drafts patents with a particular focus on marketable claim sets.

Patent Litigation

Feel like suing or getting sued? Of course not! It’s a risky business with a million different rules, scenarios and technical interpretations. It’s why if push comes to shove, you want a team that gets not just the science and law, but the people component of litigation. We’re entrepreneur-attorneys; we know how to sell science on the pitch and in the courtroom.

Patent Licensing

Our patent team has locked up with the big boys, negotiating intellectual property deals with Affymetrix, BASF, Google, Honeywell, Merck, Samsung and Synthetic Genomics, to name(drop) just a few. We’ve got the mettle to ensure you don’t just settle.

Patent Strategy

How do I patent internationally? Do I need a design patent, utility patent or both? How do I know what my competitors are patenting? How much are my patents worth? How can I challenge my competitors’ patents? Can my patents be challenged? If I change the design of my technology, is my patent still valid? These are some of the questions we’re here to answer.

COPYRIGHTS

Unlike patent law, copyright rights vest in the creator the moment the copyrightable content is fixed in a tangible medium. And just because something is patentable doesn’t mean it can’t find protection under copyright law.

Let the experienced team at RVL® help you with…

Copyright Registration

Cat got your tongue, aka contractor got your copyright? That’s just one of the issues that we’ll help resolve in positioning your art or software for registration.

Open-Source Software Audit / Software Due Diligence

Working through the 31 flavors of open source to determine where your software stands? We can help you untangle the web of mismatched license restrictions to best position you for commercialization in the marketplace.

Master Service Agreements / Licenses

You’ve already done the heavy lifting in creating something that everybody wants. Now let us develop the framework for how you best monetize it.

CHEERS

WHAT OUR CLIENTS ARE SAYING

“We worked with Ridgeline on our initial provisional patent filing and licensing agreement. They have been great to work with, very thorough, professional, and insightful regarding how to position our patent scope and application properly. In addition, I have been involved with licensing agreements for more than 15 years and Ridgeline provided excellent guidance on some specific nuances for our licensing agreement that properly protected both parties and positioned the document well for follow on license scope expansions.”
Relay Life Science

“Ridgeline really know their stuff. Our operating agreement and other entity docs are rock-solid, and we already avoided problems by creating a new master service agreement for use with clients. All in all, we're very pleased. It's hard to imagine working with anyone else at this point.”
Balernum

“Working with Ridgeline has been fantastic. It’s the first time in the 20+ year history of our company that I’ve worked with an Attorney who truly understands our business. He has been a fantastic advisor and negotiator on our behalf. I would wholeheartedly recommend Ridgeline Venture Law to any business looking for help with the trademark process”
Epion

“Ridgeline Venture has proven to be a valuable asset for my start up. Not only could they answer any legal questions, but did so in a supportive and friendly way. Highly recommend them to anyone needing legal counsel.”
MetaFlex

“As a small business and start up I needed trademark advice and help with a licensing contract. The team and Ridgeline Venture Law has been a wealth of information and support. I needed legal services to ensure my business is protected and that I sign contracts that are in my best interest. I am very pleased with the support I have received and look forward to growing my business and protecting it with their support of great legal services.”
Sisterhood of the Outdoors

“Ridgeline Venture Law has proven to be a valuable asset for my start up. Not only could they answer any legal questions, but did so in a supportive and friendly way. Highly recommend them to anyone needing legal counsel!”
Squeaky Clean

“Awesome! Fast and dependable! Definitely experts in their field.”
BeeCool

“"It has been a true pleasure to work with Kevin Christopher on my patent filing endeavors and new product development. His expertise, counsel, professionalism, dedication.... basically everything!.. has been more than just invaluable, but a driving force in creating a strong foundation and the launch platform for this pursuit. Kevin Christopher does all this while remaining personable and approachable (amazing!!).”
Mike, Inventor

“Starting a new venture can be a daunting experience for a novice. The Ridgeline group handled it all for me, including excellent advice and getting everything filed with the proper agency in a timely matter. I never could not have accomplished all of this on my own.”
Darlene, Inventor

“Ridgeline has brought our company to a whole new level with the contracts they’ve written. The value they have brought far exceeds any expense. In fact, doing business with Ridgeline has been completely painless. In many occasions I’ve wondered if we were their only client. Then I remember their track record and realize this is just how they do business. Thanks guys for having an unmatched work ethic in the business of doing business!”
Interstudy

“We asked Kevin to update the by-laws for the nonprofit Chattanooga Technology Council (ChaTech) with certain changes in mind. He uncovered some important flaws in the existing version that were not on even our radar. He corrected the flaws and addressed the original issues we were concerned about. I enjoyed working with him on this.”
Chattanooga Technology Council

“As a fellow attorney in the community, I can say it does not get better than Kevin Christopher and his team at Ridgeline Venture Law. I have referred numerous clients to RVL without hesitation, and they have always done a great job no matter the complexity. I could not recommend enough!”
Bo, Tennessee Attorney

“A great firm is made up of great people. Ridgeline Venture Law is as good as you can get. Highly recommended!”
Tucker, California Attorney

“The Ridgeline Venture Law team consistently goes above and beyond what they are asked to do, and you will always feel valued as a client. Ridgeline takes the time to truly understand what’s going on with your situation, and they make a point to ensure you understand the game plan going forward. Ridgeline is the only practice my organization uses, and we are so thankful to have them in our corner!”
Turdcules

”As a creative agency we have greatly benefited from the depth of knowledge and responsiveness of Ridgeline Venture Law and, more importantly, so have our clients. It’s reassuring to know that we have such an experienced and highly competent legal team ready to take on whatever we may throw at them.
WDStone & Associates