Jay Johnson is an intellectual property attorney with the Dallas office of the law firm of Baker & Botts, L.L.P. Baker & Botts is a full-service, general-practice law firm headquartered in Houston, Texas, with other offices in Dallas, Austin, Washington, D.C., New York, London, and Moscow. Mr. Johnson practices in all areas of intellectual property including patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets, and unfair competition. He has obtained patents for clients in a variety of technology areas such as electronics, telecommunications, medical equipment, and software. Mr. Johnson counsels clients with respect to obtaining and enforcing intellectual property rights through licensing, arbitration, and litigation.

Mr. Johnson obtained his BSME degree from the United States Naval Academy in 1986 and his law degree from the University of Oklahoma in 1993. After service with the United States Navy, he was an engineer for EMJ/Electrack in the Washington, D.C., area. During this time, he designed portions of the Baltimore Central Light Rail Line, a commuter rail system in downtown Baltimore, Maryland. Mr. Johnson is active in several organizations, including the IEEE and ASME, and is an officer of the Dallas Fort Worth Intellectual Property Law Association.

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GETTING SMART ABOUT INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

Most engineers, very early in their careers, will be faced with the notion of "intellectual property." By definition, this is a relatively abstract concept. To put it in context, intellectual property can take many forms, including patents, trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets. Patents and trade secrets, in particular, are often the cornerstones of a company’s intellectual property portfolio. On the first day of employment, an engineer may be required to sign agreements concerning the disclosure, development, and ownership of intellectual property. In the performance of their jobs, engineers may be exposed to a company’s confidential and proprietary information. Engineers also contribute to a company’s intellectual property by inventing new devices or processes.

Intellectual property can impact an engineer in many ways relating to professional development, performance ratings, advancement within a company, financial rewards, and restrictions on future employment. Because intellectual property is such a significant part of an engineer’s career, each prospective engineer should spend some time getting familiar with the various types of intellectual property. This is true for engineers joining established companies as well as those who decide to form their own businesses.

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