(Wines&Vines) - Every business has a duty to protect its own intellectual property (IP) and avoid infringing others’ rights. That was the message delivered at IP Issues in the Food and Beverage Industries, a two-day seminar presented by The Seminar Group in Napa, Calif.

Robert B. Burlingame, counsel with Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP, co-chaired the Oct. 16-17 event with Christopher J. Passarelli of Dickinson Peatman & Fogerty.

Nowhere is the IP issue more apparent, critical and complex than in the food and beverage industries, where IP laws and principles often intersect with industry-specific regulations and practices. 

Companies have various tools to protect IP, including trade secrets, patents, copyright and trademarks. When and how to apply these protections are decisions that ideally should be made thoughtfully and in advance. Each has its own requirements, and they are mutually exclusive: For instance, you can’t trademark or patent a trade secret.

Of course, legal advisors can help you make the proper choices.

Keeping secrets

Judith M. Schwimmer, vice president and legal counsel, manages IP assets and tests products for consistency and quality for Jackson Family Wines. Her presentation focused on trade secrets.