Computer Software

Overview

Software patent protection has been evolving almost as rapidly as software itself.

We constantly monitor the latest developments and issues related to software protection, both in the United States and abroad. We adjust our practices so that our prosecution services reflect the latest law for software protection.

Our attorneys have a rich background in software engineering, computer science, electrical engineering, and related fields. We know the mindset and viewpoint of software engineers and can speak their language. Our firm has successfully patented software and litigated software cases for well-known Fortune 500 software and computer corporations, as well as start-up companies.

This area of our firm’s practice encompasses the protection of innovation in diverse areas of software technology, such as:

Processing and Modeling
Compression/decompression
Control and management of industrial facilities
Hardware/software co-design
Interactive training and decision analysis applications
Interactive voice response (IVR) systems, such as for banking, airline, and automotive speech recognition systems
Internet applications, such as ad serving systems, electronic commerce applications, e-learning and online presentation systems, media players, recommendation systems, search engines, social networking tools, voice over IP (VoIP) systems, and web indexing systems
Medical monitoring, improvement, control, and data processing
Mobile applications
Modeling of physical and chemical processes
Neural networks and expert systems
Performance monitoring and management
Robotics
Software to simulate/verify hardware
Trusted computing technologies

Intelligent Software/Artificial Intelligence

Data collection and analysis for pattern formation
Electronic design automation (EDA) software
Predictive modeling
Proactive monitoring
Report or alert generation, including alternative modes of operations
Synthesizing data

Software Applications

Business applications
Distributed computing
Instructions sets and microcode
Operating systems for multiple platforms
Software development and management, such as integrated development environments (IDEs), compilers/interpreters, and revision management systems

Networks

Control and management of computer networks
Fault tolerance
Internet and e-commerce applications
Network protocols/algorithms
Network server management
Network systems, such as neural networks, network server management, and distributed computing
Wired and wireless networks

Security and Coding

Computer access control
Data compression/decompression
Encryption and decryption methods
Java programming/Java Virtual Machine (JVM)
Security techniques and systems, such as digital rights management (DRM) and network intrusion detection systems

Database and Storage

Database management systems
Data processing
Data structures
Memory organization, control and optimization
Storage Area Network (SAN) management

Video and Imaging

Graphical user interfaces (GUIs)
Graphics and image processing, such as Computer Aided Design (CAD) systems, computed tomography systems, machine vision, and modeling systems
Processing and managing of video data and streams
Videoconferencing systems
Video streaming systems, such as over-the-top (OTT) systems, set-top-box (STB) systems, video-on-demand (VOD) systems, and electronic program guides (EPGs)

Experience

Inventions that involve subject matter related to software present unique challenges because of the nature of software. Our attorneys are familiar with those challenges and understand the techniques necessary to obtain the patent protection you need.

Our firm’s attorneys have extensive experience working with Patent Examiners to successfully advance patent applications into issued patents. Our educational and vocational backgrounds, combined with our constant vigilance, enable us to leverage changes in related patent laws, rules, and regulations into meaningful protection for our clients’ innovations.

In the computer software field, Hamilton Brook Smith Reynolds has played a key role in patenting fundamental technologies, such as spreadsheet software, fonts for printer applications, and some of the first speech-to-text translation technology for various well-known companies.Our attorneys have also patented digital image processing technology and early United States patents for web-based search tools as well as software for reporting Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) data and industry-specific compliance, such as in crude oil processing.

Our litigation experience includes:

Prepared combined software-hardware use license with service agreements for a corporate maker of chemical and bio-tech manufacturing process equipment and components.
Counseled a major computer industry corporation on use of open source software components and effects for future software product release, upgrade download and access to supporting libraries/files.
Represented clients in four separate appeals to the Federal Circuit, relating to such diverse technologies as contact lens chemistry, pharmaceutical technology, automobile user interfaces, and banking systems.
Represented a leading maker of data storage devices against a “Non-Practicing Entity” that involved filing a declaratory judgment action in a favorable jurisdiction and aggressively pursuing non-infringement defenses. The strategy resulted in a very favorable settlement for our client early in the litigation.
Represented a large international software company in an action brought in the Eastern District of Texas by a Non-Practicing Entity that resulted in a favorable settlement after a period of focused discovery.
Represented software developers in an action brought in the Eastern District of Texas and other jurisdictions by a Non-Practicing Entity.
Represented an international research and development company in litigation in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York, as well as a related arbitration, against a licensee of the client’s patents that involved video recorder technology. After a three-week trial, our client received a judgment that exonerated it of all alleged improprieties and vindicated its early termination of the license.
Represented a leading developer of sports and entertainment ticketing technology in a patent infringement action against a larger industry competitor in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware. The technology involved an electronic ticketing system.
Represented a client against a software developer for breach of a contract relating to a digital publishing platform. After we uncovered the defendant’s violation of a preliminary injunction that we had secured, we had the defendant held in contempt of court and were able to settle the matter with a seven-figure payment to our client that included legal fees.