Kirk Houser concentrates his practice on a broad spectrum of intellectual property law, including patents, trademarks, copyrights and trade secrets, as well as intellectual property litigation. Prior to becoming Vice Chair of the Intellectual Property Department, Kirk previously held the positions of senior engineer and strategic development section manager at Westinghouse, where he gained extensive practical experience in electronics, distributed process control and data acquisition systems, communications and computer software technology. He has also consulted for AEG in the field of distributed microprocessor control for rolling mill applications. He is the inventor of three patented devices related to optical and process control communication networks. Representative Matters · Assists clients with the preparation and prosecution of patent, trademark and copyright applications, the litigation and resolution of intellectual property and technology related disputes, domain name disputes, and the drafting and negotiation of agreements for the licensing of intellectual property and technological assets; · Provides counsel with respect to patentability, invalidity, infringement and right-to-use studies; · Assists clients in designing around patents; · Handles matters in a wide variety of technologies including, for example, business methods, consumer products, computer hardware and software, electronics, electromechanical devices, energy conservation, internet web sites, medical devices, telecommunications, wireless communications, and computer networking devices and systems; · Works closely with in-house general counsel as well as in-house intellectual property specialists; · Represents major corporations, universities, small business concerns and individuals; · Works in all phases of trademark law, including the registration of trademarks, trademark oppositions, and the analysis of trademark infringement and right-to-use. Professional Affiliations Pittsburgh Intellectual Property Law Association Articles/Speeches/Presentations · "Trademarks: assets of the business which need to be registered and protected," Eckert Seamans' Construction Law Update, October 2009. |