Attorneys
Thomas J. Oppold chairs the Intellectual Property, Technology and Internet Department and is a member of the Board of Directors at Larkin Hoffman Daly & Lindgren Ltd. With his broad technical background and legal experience, Mr. Oppold provides counseling to clients in all areas of intellectual property law, including procuring and protecting IP rights, IP clearance and avoidance, licensing and transfer of IP rights, and in the enforcement and defense of IP rights through litigation and dispute resolution. Bar Admissions Minnesota, 2003 Iowa, 1997 U.S. District Court, Northern District of Iowa U.S. District Court, Southern District of Iowa U.S. Court of Appeals, Federal Circuit U.S. Patent and Trademark Office U.S. District Court, Central District of Illinois U.S. District Court, District of Minnesota Professional Associations & Memberships American Bar Association American Intellectual Property Law Association Iowa Intellectual Property Law Association Larkin Hoffman Daly & Lindgren Ltd. Member, Board of Directors Chair, Intellectual Property, Technology and Internet Minnesota Bar Association Minnesota Intellectual Property Law Association Education Drake University Law School, Des Moines, IA, 1996 J.D. South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD, 1989 B.S. Major: Agricultural Engineering Representative Cases Midwest Ind. Inc. v. Karavan Trailers, Inc., 175 F.3d 1356 (Fed. Cir 1999)
Service Areas
Franchise and Distribution Intellectual Property, Technology and Internet |
Intellectual Property, Technology and Internet Experience
Midwest Industries, Inc. v. Karavan Trailers (S.D. Iowa)
The case Midwest Industries, Inc. v. Karavan Trailers (S.D. Iowa) which involved the interplay between patents and trade dress rights. Midwest asserted trade dress protection in a unique curved winch post configuration for personal watercraft trailers. Midwest appealed the district court’s order granting summary judgment to Karavan, holding that Midwest’s trade dress claims were barred by federal patent law because Midwest had design patents for the curved winch post and a utility patent in which the curved winch post was claimed. Larkin Hoffman attorney Tom Oppold took over this case on appeal and successfully argued on behalf of Midwest to the Federal Circuit.
Field v. Grabber Mfg. Co. (M.D. Fla.)
Larkin Hoffman attorney, Tom Oppold, served as counsel for Field in Field v. Grabber Mfg. Co. (M.D. Fla.) a patent infringement case involving automotive collision repair machines. A significant damages award for the inventor was awarded by the jury.
Patent Harbor v. Twentieth Century Fox, et al. (E.D. Tex.)
Tom Oppold, John Cotter and Jerry Podkopacz served as counsel for Venturer Electronics in a patent infringement action brought by Patent Harbor against numerous defendants involving a patent alleged to cover DVD players with scene selection features. After a favorable Markman ruling, Patent Harbor agreed to stipulate to non-infringement and an order was entered dismissing Venturer Electronics and other defendants.
Oppold Shares Advice on Maximizing Intellectual Property Assets
Thomas Oppold was featured in the June/July issue of Upsize magazine discussing the importance of addressing intellectual property needs of businesses. To read the full article, click here.
Holdover Franchisees-Counterfeiters, Not Just Infringers
Thomas Oppold discusses what happens when ex-franchisees continue to operate the franchise after the termination of a franchise agreement.
The Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA): Update and Enforcement Strategies
The Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) was signed into law on October 28, 1998. The DMCA was enacted to address several important issues, including bringing U.S. copyright law into compliance with international treaties and to address issues of copyright liability in the online world, as well as to address other miscellaneous copyright-related issues.
Fighting Internet Pirates: Remedies Available for Domain Name Disputes
As franchisors begin to rely more heavily on the Internet for conducting business, whether for advertising purposes, for providing online services to customers and franchisees, or for engaging in e-commerce, more franchisors will inevitably become victims of the modern-day type of piracy known as cyberpiracy or cybersquatting.
Top 10 Ways to Help Protect Your Franchise's Trade Secrets
Most franchise agreements include detailed provisions to ensure the protection of the franchise system’s trademarks, copyrights and patents. However, many of these same agreements fail to adequately address protection for what may be the franchisor’s most valuable asset – its trade secrets.
Larkin Hoffman Ranked on Business Journal's Top 25 List for Intellectual Property Law Firms
Larkin Hoffman was ranked No. 18 among the top 25 law firms with intellectual property practices by the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal.
Herrero & Associates Meet at Larkin Hoffman
Attorneys from one of Spain's largest Intellectual Property firms, Herrero & Associates, met with Larkin Hoffman's attorneys this past week.
Podkopacz and Lambert Join Larkin Hoffman
Larkin Hoffman welcomes Jerry S. Podkopacz and Eric S. Lambert who have joined the firm’s Intellectual Property, Technology and Internet Department.
Larkin Hoffman Elects New Shareholders
Larkin Hoffman is pleased to announce that Daniel J. Ballintine, Kenneth Corey-Edstrom, Thomas J. Oppold and James M. Susag have been elected shareholders of the firm. Ballintine practices in the Employment Law Department. Corey-Edstrom practices in the Creditor, Debtor and Bankruptcy area. Oppold practices in the Intellectual Property Law Department. Susag practices in the Real Estate Litigation Department.
Larkin Hoffman Sponsors 2010 Midwest Intellectual Property Institute
Larkin Hoffman is proud to sponsor the 2010 Midwest Intellectual Property Institute on Sept. 23-24, 2010 at the Minnesota CLE Conference Center.
Larkin Hoffman Sponsors 2008 MIMA Summit
Learn more about interactive marketing and how to effectively implement it.
Larkin Hoffman Sponsors 2008 Midwest IP Institute
The Midwest Intellectual Property Institute provides information about new developments in all major areas of IP law and litigation.
Larkin Hoffman Sponsors 2006 MIMA Summit
Larkin Hoffman Attorneys sponsored the 2006 Minnesota Interactive Marketing Association (MIMA) Summit
