Shackelford’s clients realize that intellectual property protection of their inventions, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets and proprietary technology is paramount to their survival. To aide in this survival, clients readily tap into David Odom’s almost two decades of practice experience in intellectual property law with emphasis in patent, trademark and copyright preparation and prosecution, IP licensing and transactional matters related to IP, including all types of agreements where the subject matter is, or related to, any facet of intellectual property.

David’s national and international clients also acknowledge their trademarks, trademarks and portfolio management require experience, skill, and acumen. Bolstered by his experience, David has substantial depth in conducting in-house trademark searches, clearance, registration, and portfolio management on an international scale. He represents global brands and manages portfolios for organizations headquartered throughout the world, ranging from large corporations to start-ups. He works with clients to understand their business in order to provide the most effective and strategic legal advice from the planning and launch of a brand through its implementation, growth, and protection.

David’s valuable experience also extends to collaborating with professional search firms, and if necessary, conducting investigations to ensure that his clients have the most comprehensive trademark information available. With this information in hand, David provides advice and counsel to clients on strategies to overcome barriers and during the registration process, including changing the trademark, seeking consent, or instituting proceedings. David also advises clients on strategic foreign filings and offers the advantage of his longstanding global relationships with his network of international law firms, which is beneficial when protecting clients’ intellectual property rights throughout the world and across multiple jurisdictions.

As part of global portfolio management, David regularly assesses clients’ portfolios and identifies trademarks and geographic areas that require enhanced or discontinued protection. He also assists in implementing trademark policing programs, with the use of cease and desist and other means, to protect against dilution or loss of trademark rights. This supports clients in preventing or minimizing damage before it leads to expensive and time-consuming litigation.

In the wake of rapid technological innovation, the complexity level of IP, in particular, copyright issues has increased exponentially. David is experienced in tackling these multifaceted issues and providing innovative solutions. In light of these advancements, copyrights are now created, distributed, exploited, and owned in non-traditional ways. David has in-depth familiarity with these issues, as well as content-specific copyright matters, including risks with use and ownership of user- generated content and content sharing (i.e., video, audio, photo, etc.). David regularly counsels clients pertaining to the registration of their copyrights in all types of works, including graphics, music, text, video, photography and images and software, and advises on copyright licensing, enforcement, and fair use matters. David has experience enforcing rights through the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), as well as drafting copyright software licenses, website related agreements, and work-for-hire agreements.