There are many reasons Kansas and Missouri residents may need support regarding intellectual property concerns, such as copyrights, patents or trade secrets. Intellectual property litigation is an area of law that has evolved alongside developments in technology and global commerce. Some property assets may even be ‘ideas,’ and problems can arise if disagreements occur regarding who owns a particular idea or whether someone’s use of the idea infringes on another party’s rights.

Consider trade secrets, for instance. If you have developed an idea that gives you an edge over your competitors, you may not want your employees or anyone else to use that same idea to increase their own profits elsewhere. But what happens if a worker quits his or her job, then takes your idea and builds upon it to launch another business or secure new employment by sharing it with a prospective employer?

The outcome would depend on several factors. For one, whether or not you and the former worker had signed a contract prohibiting use or sharing of the idea may impact your situation. Trade secret disputes can be tricky because there is no specific registration process available to make ownership known; however, trade secrets are indeed protected by law.

One of the first things Kansas and Missouri residents can do to halt trade secret problems, or address other legal matters regarding copyrights or patents, is to request a meeting with an attorney experienced in intellectual property litigation. Hovey Wlliams LLP has successfully helped many people throughout these two states to overcome intellectual property problems. A legal consultation is often the first step toward fair and agreeable solutions.