Kunzler and McKenzie is dedicated to providing our customers with exceptional intellectual property representation. We are experienced in all aspects of intellectual property law, including licensing and litigation matters. We regularly counsel our clients in all matters pertaining to patents, trademarks, copyrights, computer law, licensing, internet law, and related litigation.

We regularly assist large companies such as IBM and Hitachi with their patent and other intellectual property needs. We are also very cost conscious and able to assist smaller clients as well. We are very committed to the Intermountain region and particularly value our local clients.

Kunzler and McKenzie has offices in Salt Lake City and Provo.

Intellectual Property

Our legal system provides certain rights and protections for owners of property. The kind of property that results from the use of the mind in developing new ideas and products is called intellectual property.

Intellectual property law is the area of the law that includes patent law, copyright law, trademark law and trade secret law. In addition, some aspects of other branches of the law, such as licensing and unfair competition are included within the area of intellectual property.

Rights and protections for owners of intellectual property are based on federal patent, trademark and copyright laws and state trade secret laws. In general, patents protect inventions of tangible things; copyrights protect various forms of written and artistic expression; and trademarks protect a name or symbol that identifies the source of goods or services.

Salt Lake City, Utah lawyer Brian C. Kunzler is a registered patent attorney and the founder of Kunzler and McKenzie. Mr. Kunzler represents several multinational corporations, but also enjoys assisting private individuals and small businesses with their intellectual property needs. Mr. Kunzler specializes in:

• patents
• trademarks
• copyrights
• computer law
• licensing
• related litigation

Is it expensive to obtain a patent?
Patents are a limited monopoly granted by the government. As such, the granting of a patents is highly regulated by the government. To prepare a patent application that will be valuable to the client requires a substantial amount of attorney time. A patent that is written by less than an experienced and quality conscious practitioner can be worthless. Still, there are ways to keep the costs down when an attorney is used who is committed primarily to the success of the client.

Do I need to file a trademark registration to use my product name?
It is not absolutely necessary to file for a federal registration in order to obtain and use a trademark. On the other hand, it is essential to make sure that noone else is already using the mark you wish to use. This can be done with a professional trademark search. Additionally, in order to perfect the rights to the mark around the country, a federal trademark registration is advisable.

Do I own my literary work/book/song/computer program absent a filing of a copyright?
A copyright does exist once the work is reproduced in fixed form. Whether you own the work may depend on how the work was created. It may belong to someone who employed you or commissioned the work. It is advisable to consult with an attorney on the matter. A copyright registration is advisable in order to fully protect the work. Copyright registrations are relatively inexpensive to file.

At what time in the intellectual property generation/dispute process is it wise to consult an attorney?
Many expensive intellectual property disputes could have been quickly resolved or avoided altogether by consulting an attorney either during or immediately after the generation of the intellectual property or early in the dispute process. Individuals and companies with valuable trademarks, copyrightable material and proprietary technology should retain a reputable attorney to advise them on the steps that should be taken to perfect their intellectual property rights and to avoid litigation.