Supporting Companies Through ITC Section 337 Investigations
The US International Trade Commission (ITC) is an independent, quasi-judicial, federal agency that is responsible for resolving intellectual property and unfair competition disputes concerning imported products. Such unfair import disputes are known as Section 337 investigations and typically involve patent, trade secret, trademark, trade dress, and other forms of intellectual property, as well as unfair practices such as false advertising, anticompetitive acts, and business torts.
The ITC Section 337 Group at Merchant & Gould focuses on these investigations. Our group is led by skilled attorneys with years of experience in Section 337 matters and supported by a diverse, tech-focused litigation practice.
Imported Goods Infringement, Unfair Competition & Cross-Border Trade Protection
Our ITC Section 337 Group sits in our firm’s litigation practice and serves all clients regardless of industry. The group handles both patent and non-patent (trademark, trade dress, trade secrets, and false advertising) matters under Section 337.
Clients we serve include both companies that have significantly invested in U.S. operations suffering from IP infringement or unfair competition related to imported products and businesses defending against allegations of IP infringement or unfair competition with respect to their U.S. imports. Among the clients we serve are businesses that could benefit from the unique strengths of Section 337 investigations for brand protection and enforcement via utility and design patent, trademark, and trade dress rights.
Experienced Bench of IP & Technology Attorneys
The core of our ITC Section 337 Group is based in the Washington, DC area and focuses on unfair import investigations before the ITC. The group also includes experienced IP attorneys across Merchant & Gould, enabling the group to handle any intellectual property, technological, or brand protection issue that may arise in a Section 337 investigation.
Section 337 investigations combine traditional IP matters, such as patent, copyright, or trademark infringement or trade secret misappropriation; business and competitive issues; financial accounting and economics; trial practice and administrative procedure; and political savvy. The uniqueness of these cases requires attorneys with a mix of IP law experience, litigation skills, technical expertise, and financial knowledge, all of which our ITC Section 337 Group is well equipped to provide.
From initial pre-complaint diligence through trial and appeals, the attorneys and staff at Merchant & Gould have the experience and expertise necessary to get positive results for our clients. As a global law firm that has focused on IP work for more than 120 years, our attorneys understand how international trade and intellectual property affect a company’s ability to grow.