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Griffin Klema
Klema Law, P.L.Badges
Claimed Lawyer ProfileQ&A
Summary
Civil litigator and registered patent attorney who brings wide-ranging experience to bear on legal matters, combining scientific, technological, business, and legal knowledge in a single advisor. I pride myself in careful and effective tactical planning in litigation and negotiation. I am committed to providing creative, aggressive, professional representation. I can be reached directly at 202-713-5292 or griffin@klemalaw.com.
Practice Areas
- Intellectual Property
- Patents
- Trademarks
- Business Law
Additional Practice Areas
- Litigation
- Trial
- Copyright
Fees
- Free Consultation
Up to 15 minutes free initial consultation by phone. - Credit Cards Accepted
- Contingent Fees
I accept some matters on contingency basis, depending on the nature of the case and the client's flexibility in offering equity in a business or other asset. - Rates, Retainers and Additional Information
I also provide hybrid, flexible fee arrangements, all depending on your particular situation. Please contact me to discuss your matter and how we can structure compensation in exchange for my services.
Jurisdictions Admitted to Practice
- Florida
- USPTO
- 11th Circuit
Languages
- English: Spoken, Written
- French: Spoken, Written
Professional Experience
- Shareholder
- Klema Law, P.L.
- - Current
- Complex civil litigation, intellectual property, and business counseling.
- Attorney
- Hoffman & Hoffman
- -
- Commercial litigation, probate, and business counseling.
- Market Analyst
- Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation
- -
- Protected, licensed, and enforced intellectual property (patents, biomaterials, trade secrets) developed at the University of Wisconsin, including technologies in medical devices, pharmaceuticals (small molecules, biologics, regenerative therapies), research tools, diagnostics, and medical imaging.
Education
- University of Miami School of Law
- J.D. (2012) | Intellectual Property, Competition Law, Litigation
- -
- Honors: Cum Laude, Law Review, Moot Court, Dean's Fellow
- Activities: Intellectual Property Law Society (Vice President),
- University of Wisconsin - Madison
- B.S. (2005) | Biochemistry, Finance
- -
- Honors: Created mobile web interface for community-based security technology which earned second place in the Schoof’s Prize for Creativity, Innovation Competition, 2006 (uncredited, post-graduation).
Awards
- Dean's Fellow
- University of Miami School of Law
- Dean's fellow in writing.
- Moot Court Board
- University of Miami School of Law
- Earned invitation after scoring second highest among existing members in 2L competition.
- Dean's Fellow
- University of Miami School of Law
- Dean's fellow in writing, assisting professors and other students with their written work product.
- International and Comparative Law Review
- University of Miami School of Law
- Earned invitation as a result of my submission to the write-on competition.
- Dean's Fellow
- University of Miami School of Law
- Dean's fellow in writing, assisting professors and other students with their written work product.
Professional Associations
- United States Patent & Trademark Office # 74,334
- Member
- - Current
- JOHN T. GAUBATZ MOOT COURT COMPETITION
- Judge
- - Current
- Activities: Judge for the University of Miami’s annual moot court competition by evaluating and providing feedback to 1L and 2L students seeking invitations to the board.
- The Florida Bar # 0100279
- Member
- - Current
- Rebuilding Together - Miami-Dade
- House Captain
- -
- Activities: Manage group of 20 volunteers during organization’s annual rebuilding day, and provide construction services as needed to repair and renovate homes of disabled, low income, and veteran homeowners.
- AIPLA
- Member
- -
- AUTM
- Member
- -
- Licensing Executives Society
- Member
- -
Speaking Engagements
- Patent Law Year in Review, HCBA Annual IP CLE, Tampa, FL
- Hillsborough County Bar Association
- Gave continuing legal education seminar to Tampa area attorneys summarizing the past year's developments in patent law, including case law, rule changes, and prosecution developments before the USPTO.
- Harnessing the Expertise of Your Business and Law Schools, AUTM Central Meeting, Cleveland, OH
- AUTM
- Business and Law Schools as Your Technology Transfer Office Workhorse, AUTM Annual Meeting, San Diego, CA
- AUTM
Certifications
- Registered Patent Attorney
- U.S. Patent & Trademark Office
Websites & Blogs
- Website
- Klema Law, P.L.
- Blog
- IP Vault
- Credit Card Fees and Florida Statute 501.0117
9 April 2019 - Miami-Dade Summons Fillable Form
20 March 2019 - Griffin Klema Quoted in Florida Bar News on Credit Card Fees
15 January 2019 - Proposal for Settlement Calculator
25 October 2018 - Suing for patent infringement outside the U.S.
22 June 2018 - Trademark Registration as Defensive Asset
10 April 2018 - Florida Bar Ethics Committee Proposes Change to Credit Card Acceptance Fees
31 January 2018 - No Trade Secret for Uber’s Data in Government License
12 January 2018 - Trademark Duration, Renewal, and Section 8 Affidavit
13 December 2017
Legal Answers
249 Questions Answered
- Q. If I have a slogan or catchphrase for a hat, T shirt, and/or pennant, do I need a copyright or a trademark to protect it
- A: Usually, things printed on clothing are not considered identifiers of source. Trademark protects against source confusion, and frequently the things printed on clothing are considered ornamentation rather than suggestive of the quality or origin of the clothing itself. Nevertheless, you may be able to get a trademark on the slogan. Expect a budget at least $500 for that legal work.
- Q. My trademark is registration number 5151077 Someone registered it in Turkey am I protected Internationally?
- A: No, a US registration is limited to the US. You would need to follow the Madrid Protocol to secure trademark rights in other countries. If you are selling products in Turkey, and someone else has a registration, there are several things that need to be addressed (such as whether the person is squatting on the mark, or actually selling their own product/service).
- Q. Good Evening: Is McCaughrin Maritime trademark currently up to date?
- A: Yes, that mark is "live" (reg. no. 3646694).
- Q. Is it possible to register a trademark "JOUST" and how much does it cost?
- A: That all depends on what products or services the mark will be applied to. Usually, a trademark attorney will review existing marks to determine whether it is a registrable in the first place, and then also include in the services preparing a trademark application if it is. Expected budget $500 plus the USPTO fees of at least $250 per class. If you would like to discuss the application process further, feel free to call me: 202-713-5292.
- Q. Is Cubby Bear fed and/or state trademark
- A: If you're going to be a Chicago Cubs themed bar, you might need a license from the team. Even if that specific phrase is not trademarked, you could run into problems, and I recommend allocating some of your startup budget to legal counsel on this issue (and perhaps proper licensing, business formation, etc.) to avoid problems after you've spent time and money creating signage, branding, and other investments.
- Q. What is the cost to protect an invention and what documents do i need to provide?
- A: The FULL cost to patent something depends on the scope of protection you want. The cheaper fees you might be getting quoted ($3k to $5k) might lead to a very narrow (less valuable) patent, and most importantly, that is only to get the process started! It is very unlikely you will get a patent without being required to respond to at least one office action. And the cost for responding to an office action can vary between a few hundred dollars to several thousand, depending on the issues raised by the patent examiner. You may face multiple office actions depending on the scope of protection you want. Essentially, you should budget between $10,000 and $20,000 for the full process to secure an average patent of low to medium complexity, and considerably more if it's fairly to highly complex, or if you want the broadest possible rights.
- Q. hello, I wanted to know if there´s still a trademark over "Let's Roll" and based on what law was it patented
- A: A patent is not the same thing as a trademark, and a slogan is not patentable but may be a trademark. Try searching the USPTO's website, TESS (trademarks) for the mark in question.
- Q. looking to register or edit a US trademark for Amazon selling purposes
- A: Yes, there are many attorneys who can help you with this. Based on what you describe, you might require what is called a "house mark." Just be forewarned that for each class the USPTO charges a fee of at least $250. I would be pleased to discuss how I can help fulfill your goals: 202-713-5292.
- Q. what actions can be taken when a person breaches a private undrtaking, i.e. given to the trademark holder & not in court
- A: If the "undertaking" as you describe it is an enforceable contract, then it might be breach of that contract. If there is no contract (i.e. settlement agreement or license), then there may be a valid claim for trademark infringement. It doesn't matter that the agreement was not part of a formal legal proceeding. If you are the party that owns the mark, I would be pleased to discuss your case further: 202-713-5292 (cell).
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