Marc E. Fineman is a partner in the Intellectual Property Service Group and the Sports Law Service Group. Marc focuses on patent, trademark and copyright matters. He has over fourteen years of experience in domestic and international intellectual property protection, enforcement, licensing and defense. His extensive intellectual property background encompasses all major areas of intellectual property work including prosecution, transactions, licensing and litigation.
Marc represents a broad range of clients, including large, multinational public corporations, privately held mid-sized companies, family-owned business’ and individuals. Marc works with clients across numerous industries, including Internet and online commerce, consumer electronics, entertainment and sports, packaging and construction materials, telecommunications, lighting systems, sporting goods, toys, advertising and promotion services, restaurant and retail services, health and exercise products, financial services and many others.
Marc's patent experience includes patentability, infringement and right-to-use searches and opinions, as well as strategic evaluation and analysis of worldwide patent portfolios. Marc also prepares and prosecutes patent applications in a wide variety of arts, including mechanical devices, computer-implemented inventions, sporting goods, exercise equipment and business methods. Additionally, Marc works with his clients to exploit patent rights through licensing and strategic business relationships, and helps clients enforce their patent rights through litigation.Marc's trademark experience covers all facets of trademark law, and includes searches, clearance opinions and prosecution and maintenance of trademark registrations. Additionally, Marc counsels clients regarding trademark and brand development and management, including development of corporate trademark usage guidelines, worldwide trademark filing strategies, trademark portfolio management and extensive trademark licensing programs. Marc has negotiated comprehensive trademark licensing involving famous marks in the music, entertainment and sports areas, and he has represented both licensors and licensees of numerous well known marks. Marc also counsels clients regarding trademark disputes and litigation in the Federal courts, before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board and in Internet domain name dispute proceedings.
In particular, Marc has developed an interest in the protection of non-traditional trademarks, such as marks that comprise sounds, shapes, colors and textures. Marc was involved in obtaining the first known registration of a tactile sensory trademark in the United States. Because of the unique and novel nature of this area of trademark law, Marc continues to grow this area of his practice. Additionally, Marc has substantial experience with copyright matters, including copyright registration, licensing and litigation.
Marc's extensive experience with all three major areas of intellectual property provides him with a unique perspective and insight that allows him to develop complete intellectual property programs that provide complementary forms of intellectual property protection, with an emphasis on maximizing asset value while minimizing risk and cost. Marc is a frequent speaker on IP related topics and was named a Rising Star by Illinois Super Lawyers in 2009 and 2010.