Benjamin Charkow is an experienced intellectual property attorney whose practice ranges from securing trademarks and copyrights, clearing and prosecuting patents, and negotiating product licenses to enforcing intellectual property rights though litigation.
His clients span industries, including retail, technology, manufacturing, consumer electronics, and pharmaceuticals.
For IP rights holders, Ben advises clients on the best way to protect and secure IP rights. Ben also advises on the risks of operating or implementing proposed products, services, or designs in view of third-party registered and non-registered IP rights. He assists clients in responding to third-party assertions in all areas of intellectual property rights.
On behalf of a major retailer, he developed a program for advising on the risks involved in new e-commerce services and in-store capabilities. He also conducts patentability and right-to-use/freedom-to-operate studies in numerous technical areas, including personal hygiene, medical devices, apparel, and footwear.
In the area of litigation and enforcement, Ben enforces his clients’ IP rights, be they patents, trademarks, trade dress, and/or copyrights. He also has considerable experience resolving disputes outside the courtroom through mediation and other forms of alternative dispute resolution. He has negotiated numerous license agreements as part of enforcement programs and has worked to resolve issues related to federal seizure of goods for alleged trademark or copyright violations.
Before attending law school, Mr. Charkow worked as an environmental engineer at Malcolm Pirnie, Inc., where he was involved in the design and start-up of new equipment to upgrade New York City’s wastewater treatment plants.