Overview
The race is on to develop, own, monetize, and protect alternative sources of energy involving the wind, tides, and sun, as well as underground geothermal options. Plant varieties that stand up to drought and flooding are now owned and marketed in our more environmentally conscious society, with new cleaner and more eco-friendly materials driving our collective and more sustainable point of view. IP surrounding the creation of new environmentally sound technologies continues to emerge as a utilitarian tool for forward-thinking scientists and businesses seeking to make a difference in improving the world around us.
In addition to aggressive efforts by the WIPO to prioritize patents that support environmental sustainability, a selection of patent offices around the world also encourage and prioritize patents that are considered “green.” In fact, the advantages of green patents and trademarks filed offer the potential to commercialize sustainable innovations on an expedited track.
At Rothwell Figg, we serve as IP law counsel to environmental scientists, businesses, universities, research facilities, and other industry constituents involved in the development, ownership, licensing, and ongoing protection of environmentally safe products, services, and other intangible assets that have propelled this industry into the mainstream. Our team is fluent in the language of all things eco, ethical, and sustainable, and we share the missions of increasing renewable sources, reducing consumption and waste management, and addressing climate change solutions. As a firm, we seek to practice what we preach in this regard and have taken significant steps to reduce our own plastic and paper waste, both in our breakrooms and at our desks.
In addition to patenting and monetizing this distinct body of IP, our litigators defend clients in patent litigation in state and federal courts and are well versed in the variety of regulations and guidelines of agencies such as the EPA, FDA, and Better Business Bureaus. Our firm has achieved notable success in advocating client objectives regarding advertising of sustainable products and services, and in protecting the design of reusable consumer products
Because Environmental Science is considered an interdisciplinary field, our attorneys bring to bear their passion for and academic and industry training in the physical, biological, and information sciences (including ecology, biology, physics, chemistry, plant science, zoology, mineralogy, oceanography, limnology, soil science, geology and physical geography, and atmospheric science) to their IP law practices. There is no learning curve for us when it comes to understanding the IP of the environment.