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LAS VEGAS—Intellectual property is the lifeblood of the home furnishings industry. Companies and creatives depend on their designs to be successful in the marketplace, and they must be able to protect and monetize those designs.
Womble Bond Dickinson IP attorney Jack Hicks will discuss “Protecting Your Intellectual Property: What Every Creative Should Know” at the Las Vegas Market. Hicks’ presentation will address how designers and other creatives can protect their ideas, designs and other IP in the age of open information and social media. In addition, he will discuss how creatives can manage and optimize their IP, what the roles and responsibilities of their clients may be, and how creatives can be smarter providers of innovative interior, furniture and décor designs.
Hicks’ Las Vegas Market discussion is presented by the International Society of Furniture Designers (ISFD), the International Furnishings & Design Association (IFDA) and Steelyard. It takes place from noon-1 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 27. Click here for more information or to register.
Also, click here to read more about Hicks’ presentation in Furniture Today.
Jack Hicks has years of proven experience as an international furniture design attorney. He has helped guide home furnishing and design companies through all stages of the intellectual property process. Finding the line between lawful inspiration and prohibited copying can be a complex undertaking but Hicks helps clients navigate these gray areas. He has obtained, litigated and invalidated patents, trademarks (including trade dress) and copyrights on literally hundreds of furniture-related designs. Hicks’ background before law school includes two degrees in mechanical engineering and work experience as a design engineer in the aerospace industry. He is a frequent author and speaker on furniture- and design-related patent issues, having made numerous presentations at Patent and Trademark Offices throughout the world. Hicks’ honors and awards include being ranked among the leading lawyers in his field by The Best Lawyers in America, North Carolina Super Lawyers and North Carolina Legal Elite.
