Steven E. Koffs

Steven E. Koffs

Steven E. Koffs concentrates his practice on intellectual property, with emphasis on patent prosecution, opinions (patent invalidity and non-infringement, right to use and ability to register trademarks), copyright and trade secret protection.

Mr. Koffs authored approximately 200 patents and patent applications in various technical areas including but not limited to MPEG systems, pattern recognition, data compression, memory devices, medical monitoring equipment, semiconductor fabrication, building products, and opto-electronics.

Mr. Koffs worked out provisions of settlement in patent enforcement litigations and resolved other patent and trademark disputes without litigation. Mr. Koffs has performed detailed analysis of patent validity, infringement and enforceability issues for litigations and counseled clients in assertion of patent portfolios during licensing negotiations.

Admitted to practice in Pennsylvania and before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Mr. Koffs is an adjunct professor at Villanova School of Law, where he teaches patent prosecution. He is past chair of the Intellectual Property Law Section of the Pennsylvania Bar Association. Mr. Koffs is a member of the Benjamin Franklin Inn of the American Inns of Court, American Intellectual Property Law Association, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, and the Philadelphia Intellectual Property Law Association. He is past chair of a Hearing Committee of the Disciplinary Board of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania.

Mr. Koffs is a 1987 graduate of Rutgers University School of Law, a graduate of Drexel University, where he received a master's degree, and a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania.

Areas Of Practice

· Intellectual Property Law

· Patents

· Right to Use

· Trademarks

· Copyrights

· Trade Secret Protection

Professional Activities

· American Intellectual Property Law Association

· Philadelphia Intellectual Property Law Association
- Former Chair, Electronic and Computer Practice Committee

· Pennsylvania Bar Association
- Intellectual Property Law Section
-- Past Chair
-- Past Vice Chair
-- Recording Secretary, 2002-2003
-- Treasurer, 2001-2002
-- IP Section Newsletter
---Former Editor-in-Chief, 2000-2002

· American Bar Association
- Section of Litigation
-- Past Co-Chair, Intellectual Property Litigation Committee

· Montgomery Bar Association

· Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers

· Benjamin Franklin Inn of the American Inns of Court

Experience

· Duane Morris LLP
- Partner, 1999-present
- Associate, 1998-1999

· General Electric, Valley Forge, Pennsylvania
- Systems Engineer, 1988-1992
- Systems Analyst, 1985-1988

· RCA, East Windsor, New Jersey
- Thermal Systems Engineer, 1983-1985

· RCA, Moorestown, New Jersey
- Microwave Antenna Engineer, 1980-1983

· Ratner & Prestia, Valley Forge, Pennsylvania
- Associate, 1992-1998

Board Memberships

· Past Chair, Hearing Committee 2.03, Disciplinary Board of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania

Civic and Charitable Activities

· Temple Brith Achim, Recording Secretary and Trustee, 1994-present

· National Multiple Sclerosis Society
- Cycling and Raising Funds Since 1997
-- Co-captain, 2003

Selected Publications

· "Prosecution Laches - a New Defense to Patent Infringement," The Legal Intelligencer, February 7, 2002

· "Patent Invalidity Not in the Cards for Hallmark," The Legal Intelligencer, July 5, 2001

· Co-Author, "Court Enforces Cyberspace No Trespassing Signs," The Legal Intelligencer, March 1, 2001

· "Colorful Decision from 3rd Circuit," The Legal Intelligencer, February 1, 2001

· "What's Left of the Doctrine of Equivalents?" The Legal Intelligencer, January 4, 2001

· "Sweeping Changes to U.S. Patent Laws," The Legal Intelligencer, January 6, 2000

· "4th Circuit is Not Snowed by Ringling's Dilution Arguments," The Legal Intelligencer, May 6, 1999

· Intellectual Property Law Weekly, May 19, 1999

· "Patent -- Not Tort -- Law Applies in Preliminary Injunction Decision," The Legal Intelligencer, March 4, 1999

· "Patent Infringement Liability: What You Don't Know Can Hurt You," The Legal Intelligencer, October 1, 1998

Selected Speaking Engagements

· Speaker, Pennsylvania Bar Institute's Intellectual Property Law Institute, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, April 17, 2007

· Moderator, "Intellectual Property Law Primer," Pennsylvania Bar Institute seminar, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, August 28, 2006

· Leader, "Use Of Opinions Of Counsel In Patent Litigation," ABA Roundtable, IP Committee, Litigation Section, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, May 26, 2004

· "Recent Patent Decisions," Intellectual Property Law Update, Pennsylvania Bar Association's Annual Meeting, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, April 23, 2002

· "Is the Doctrine of Equivalents Still Viable?" Roundtable discussion of the Intellectual Property Committee of the American Bar Association's Section of Litigation, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, March 19, 2003

· "Drafting Competent Patent Opinions," the Computer and Electronic Practice Committee Meeting of the Philadelphia Intellectual Property Law Association, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, March 13, 2003

· "Patent and Copyright Law," Intellectual Property Law Updates, Pennsylvania Bar Association's Annual Meeting, Hershey, Pennsylvania, May 1, 2002

· "How Four Recent Federal Circuit Cases have Effected the On-Sale Bar of 35 USC 102(b)," Computer Practice Committee Meeting of the Philadelphia Intellectual Property Law Association, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, November 28, 2001

· "What's Left of the Doctrine of Equivalents," the Computer Practice Committee Meeting of the Philadelphia Intellectual Property Law Association, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, January 18, 2001

· "Patent Cooperation Treaty Practice," Pennsylvania Bar Institute, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, March 22, 2000 and Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, March 23, 2000

· Moderator, "Methods of Doing Business Patents: Issues on the Radar Screen," American Bar Association Roundtable, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, January 19, 2000

· "The Effect of WMS Gaming Inc. v. International Game Technology (Fed. Cir. 1999) on the Scope of Computer Software Patents," the Computer Practice Committee of Philadelphia Intellectual Property Law Association, 1999

· "The Impact of AT&T v. Excel Communications on the Scope of Statutory Subject Matter Under the Patent Statutes," the Computer Practice Committee of the Philadelphia Intellectual Property Law Association, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, April 29, 1999

· "Recent Patent Cases by the Federal Circuit and U.S. Supreme Court," the Computer Practice Committee of the Philadelphia Intellectual Property Law Association, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1998

· "Updates Involving the "Best Mode" Requirement in Patents," the Computer Practice Committee of the Philadelphia Intellectual Property Law Association, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1998

· "Review of the scope of copyright protection for non-literal elements of computer software," the Computer Practice Committee of the Philadelphia Intellectual Property Law Association, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1997

· "What the General Practitioner Should Know About Intellectual Property Law," Bucks County Bar Association, Willow Grove, Pennsylvania, 1995

· Chair, "Five Years Under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act: Examining the Ongoing Conflict Between Access and Protection," Roundtable Discussion for the IP Committee of the ABA's Litigation Section, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, January 29, 2004

· Presentation leader, "Employee's Going Away Party - What Will He Take With Him," Benjamin Franklin American Inn of Court Meeting, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, January 8, 2004