Ian J. Block

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312-554-7965

iblock@pattishall.com

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I'm the CEO of a growing business. How will your work help me protect my business?
Cultivating and protecting intellectual property presents opportunities and pitfalls for every growing business. As you roll out your new brands, you want to select marks that offer the highest future value. First, I'll help you to avoid other firms' IP rights. Second, I can help you take full advantage of the IP opportunities created by your new brand. Once your brand grows and becomes a valuable business asset, I'll help you protect that value by monitoring the market and enforcing your rights against potential infringers.

What industries do you consider your areas of concentration?
Although every industry is unique, I focus on the uses of trademarks online, in applications such as:

- domain name registration and protection;

- client website content;

- targeted search advertising;

- direct e-mail marketing to consumers;

- Facebook and Twitter; and

- news outlets and blogs that focus on new products and services.

The Internet has changed forever the way firms build and protect consumer brand loyalty. Having studied computer science as an undergraduate, I'm familiar with the technologies that drive these services. I apply this technical understanding to my clients' online intellectual property matters.

What's an example of this kind of work?
Novel uses of trademarks online raise interesting and thorny questions for trademark law. For instance, keyword advertising is a popular form of Internet advertising. Advertisers purchase the right to have their advertisements shown by purchasing "keyword triggers" that are activated when users search these words online. This advertising technique raises significant questions for trademark law when advertisers purchase keyword triggers that are trademark terms belonging to others. For years courts were split over whether the purchase and sale of trademark keyword triggers could constitute trademark infringement. While some jurisdictions denied relief because consumers never see non-owners using the protected trademarks, other courts evaluated keyword advertising under trademark law's familiar "likelihood of consumer confusion" analysis. Recent decisions have narrowed the split, but many questions still remain.

I look forward to helping my clients navigate these legal waters so that they can exploit this powerful technology and other online advertising tools.

What qualifications and skills should a client look for in an IP lawyer?
Intellectual property is a focused field that requires specialized knowledge. To serve clients effectively, an intellectual property attorney must be well versed in the statutes and opinions that make up the law's past and present because it is against that backdrop that legislatures and courts will shape its future. I'm adept at tracking the history and development of IP law. I draw upon my knowledge of intellectual property cases and statutes to help clients pursue proven legal strategies when possible and novel approaches when necessary to achieve the best overall results for them.

What personal and professional qualities do you have that benefit your clients?
I harness my curiosity to my clients' benefit by discovering new ways to present convincing arguments to judges and trademark examiners. Successful lawyers combine creativity with intellectual nimbleness as they advocate on behalf of their clients. At Pattishall, my colleagues and I do just that every day.