Knobbe Martens Partner Brent Dougal Co-Authors Comments on Rules to Implement the Hague Agreement

Knobbe Martens Olson & Bear LLP partner Brent Dougal has co-authored comments on behalf of the Intellectual Property Owners Association (IPO) in response to the United States Patent and Trademark Office’s request for commentary on their proposed rules to implement the United States’ entry into the Hague Agreement. The U.S.’s entry into the Hague Agreement will allow U.S. inventors and companies to file international design patent applications directly with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. The Hague Agreement harmonizes basic filing requirements across member countries. Thus, a single filing will be submitted to the U.S. Patent Office that will eventually be transmitted to various additional countries selected by the Applicant. The U.S. is soon to join the European Union as the most significant parties to the Hague Agreement, though China, Japan, South Korea and Russia are currently in talks to join the Agreement.

The IPO is a trade association composed of in-house corporate counsel for Fortune 500 companies and intellectual property attorneys. Dougal currently serves as Co-Vice Chair for IPO’s Industrial Designs Committee.

Dougal’s practice emphasizes strategic patent protection, clearance and due diligence for his clients. He is a registered patent attorney, and focuses primarily in the mechanical and medical device fields, but also has an extensive design patent practice covering a broad spectrum of industries. His clients range from individual inventors and start-ups to publicly traded companies. He recently assisted a Fortune 500 electronics manufacturer develop a global design patent strategy.

With over 275 lawyers and scientists nationwide, Knobbe Martens Olson & Bear LLP dedicates its practice to all aspects of intellectual property law including litigation. Consistently ranked among the top intellectual property firms worldwide, Knobbe Martens serves a diverse group of clients from multinational corporations to emerging businesses of all stages. Headquartered in Orange County, California, Knobbe Martens also has offices in San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Silicon Valley, Seattle and Washington, D.C. More information about the firm can be found at www.knobbe.com.