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Copyright Litigation
Vinson & Elkins’ lawyers represent a broad array of clients in matters involving business-critical copyrights. Our Copyright Litigation practice has experience in matters involving both traditional and new media, including broadcast and cable television, web content, and advertising. We also litigate complex technical copyright cases involving issues, such as source code misuse, software piracy, reverse engineering, cleanroom development, and the use of proprietary information.
V&E’s lawyers routinely advise clients in a wide range of industries, including media, energy, and technology, regarding copyright matters. We protect our clients’ intellectual property when misappropriated by others and protect their interests in development, licensing, and cost-effective resolutions when they are faced with copyright claims.
Experience Highlights
(N.D. Cal.) — Represented a Silicon Valley company in a complex software copyright and contractual dispute involving enterprise resource and supply chain management software
(W.D. Tex.) — Represented a major software retailer in a copyright litigation involving piracy of a system repair and data recovery software tool
(S.D. Tex.) — Defended a television broadcaster in a multi-million-dollar infringement lawsuit involving an unsettled area of copyright law, and negotiated a favorable settlement
(N.D. Tex.) — Defended a large law firm accused of copyright infringement due to the submission of prior art references to the Patent Office as part of its patent prosecution practice; we obtained a summary judgment in our client’s favor on fair use grounds
(S.D. Tex.) — Defended an advertising agency and its photographer and client against claims of copyright infringement; case settled quickly after V&E obtained a favorable summary judgment ruling for our client
(Tex. Dist. − Harris Cnty.); (Tex. App. − Houston [14th Dist.]) — Successfully defended our client against state law claims regarding computer software that were held preempted by federal copyright law; we obtained favorable rulings from both state and federal courts in multiple proceedings
(S.D. Tex.) — Successfully defended an oil company against claims of copyright infringement involving software; the V&E team negotiated a favorable settlement after limited discovery