About Our Intellectual Property Law Practice:
Alderman IP was founded in 1994 by Elliott Alderman with the goal of providing high-end and personalized counsel for the development, protection and monetization of our clients’ intellectual property. We work at the forefront of intellectual property law, often dealing with complex and nuanced IP, technology and corporate issues.
As a former general counsel and policy lawyer with four decades of legal experience, Elliott provides highly personalized services for all of his clients. To ensure quality representation and an optimal client experience, the firm is selective when taking on matters, often obtaining clients through direct referral. Eschewing the high-volume approach used by many law firms, we believe that quality representation stems from close client attention and continuous support.
The Diversity of Our Clients and Work
The firm works with a diverse range of clients, from entrepreneurs and funded startups to larger, established companies in software, internet, media / entertainment, sports, and technology.
We often work at the cross-section of different IP rights and industries, applying our business and technology acumen to minimize our clients’ legal exposure. We’ve worked as intellectual property counsel for an NBA championship team, assisting with legal issues in the technical development of their robust mobile application. We’ve also worked with a major technology company on an RSS-based search engine, advising them on both technology and copyright issues.
Alderman IP also works with creatives, entertainment, and media companies on traditional and new media issues, often involving mobile apps, web, and new distribution platforms — such as NFTs (non-fungible tokens) and the metaverse. In the past, we’ve worked with a national opera company on copyright fair use matters, documentary filmmakers, nationally known authors, and internationally known musical composers. We’ve also advised several artists and collectibles companies on monetizing their intellectual property through NFTs.
Representative Clients and Matters
Advised national nonprofit on intellectual property policy for funding university technology transfers to advance the client’s mission.
Represented heirs of well-known Russian composer on music rights copyright issue; drafted Washing Post op-ed on matter.
Advised national opera company on fair use music matter.
Outside intellectual property and technology counsel for three-time NBA champion. Led multi-year project incorporating vendors into their functionally robust mobile application.
Advised technology company creating an RSS-based search engine, formulating a copyright-compliant functional model.
Provide trademark advice and portfolio management to several national and international nonprofits.
Assist several artists and collectibles companies with monetizing their intellectual property, often though non fungible tokens (NFTs).
Assisted with the rights clearance and contractual issues for several documentary films.
Negotiated publishing agreements for several nationally known authors.
Negotiated recording and other agreement for several nationally known performers.
Our Key Legal Services
Among the key legal services we provide:
- Intellectual Property Audits. Performing intellectual property and technology audits to ensure that clients’ branding, trademarks, copyrights, and content are properly protected, and to obtain that protection where gaps currently exist;
- Rights Clearance. Protecting client materials and ensuring that third-party clearances and licenses are in place;
- Advisory Work on Corporate IP Portfolios & Assets. Advising on intellectual property and entertainment issues for multimedia, Internet and other online environments, particularly evaluating and structuring business models to effectively monetize content, as well as consulting on client issues involving obtaining and enforcing intellectual property rights.
- Drafting/Negotiation of Complex Licenses & Agreements. Negotiating contracts, licenses, and other documents, particularly involving entertainment, software licensing, Internet, and technology transfer issues.
- Miscellaneous IP Agreements. Drafting and negotiating nondisclosure, content licensing, independent contractor, and related agreements.
Our advisory work also extends to national and internationally-known nonprofits – in the past, we’ve provided trademark portfolio management to several nonprofits and other organizations. Additionally, with our significant intellectual property, government, and public policy experience, we offer lobbying and policy consulting support to institutions and industry groups.
Regardless of the legal case or transactional matter, Alderman IP’s deep and extensive network of relationships allows us to call upon highly experienced specialist attorneys to provide additional assistance to our clients whenever necessary.
To learn more about how we can help your business, please contact us at +1-202-596-5682.
About Elliott Alderman:
Elliott Alderman is the founder and principal of Alderman IP, located in Washington, D.C. and serving clients in the United States and across the globe. Elliott’s practice focuses exclusively on intellectual property, entertainment, Internet, content, and media law issues, including e-commerce, electronic publishing, Internet of Things and other on-line and mobile environments.
For forty years, he has protected and enforced the intellectual property rights of businesses, creators and users. In private practice, Elliott has litigated copyright, trademark, and related intellectual property disputes, provided registration and enforcement advice, prepared copyright, and trademark applications, negotiated contracts involving entertainment, software licensing, the creation of websites and mobile applications, and technology issue; and performed intellectual property audits. Representative clients include several professional sports teams and large technology companies.
As the general counsel of Tax Analysts, a 200-person new media tax publishing company, he negotiated, drafted, and reviewed agreements related to content licensing, e-commerce, technology, and corporate legal issues; administered the company’s intellectual property portfolio; and supervised outside counsel in varied litigation and transactional matters.
Elliott also worked in the Office of the General Counsel at the U.S. Copyright Office, where he drafted policy decisions, rulemaking documents and legal memoranda on domestic and international copyright issues for the government and Congress, and represented the Office in litigation.
His experience also includes working as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney in the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the U.S. Attorney, District of Columbia, Civil Division and serving as a Law Clerk to the Associate Chief Administrative Law Judge at the U.S. Department of Labor.
Bar Admissions:
- District of Columbia, 1983
- Virginia, 2004
Education:
- J.D, American University, Washington College of Law, Washington, D.C., 1982
Honors: Dean’s Fellow, Research–Copyright; Summer Research Assistant - B.A, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey, 1978
Honors: William V. Frankel Scholar; Root-Tilden Nominee to New York University Law School; Major: English
Professional Associations & Memberships:
- Member, District of Columbia Bar
- Third term member, DC Bar Practice Management Advisory Service Committee
- Former: District of Columbia Bar, Sections of Intellectual Property and Law Practice Management
- District of Columbia Member, Steering Committee, Law Practice Management Section
- D.C. Computer Law Forum Member
- Copyright Society of USA Member, Steering Committee, Washington Chapter
- National Computer Law Center (online service), Copyright Forum Leader
- District of Columbia Bar, Member, Steering Committee, Arts, Entertainment and Sport Law Section
- District of Columbia Bar, Chair, Music Section, Arts, Entertainment and Sport Law Section
Publications & Published Works:
U.S. Supreme Court Warhol Foundation Decision on Copyright Fair Use: Transformation Alone is not Fair Use of a Copyrighted Work, 5 Maryland Bar Journal 50 (December 1, 2023)
Copyright Questions, Washington Post, Outlook Section p. C6 (June 7, 1998) (GATT restoration and copyright term extension)
The Return of the Native Product: Supreme Court Will Analyze Reach of Copyright Owner’s Importation Right, Legal Times Intellectual Property Supplement (March 23, 1998)
Copyright Issues: Be Careful With Older Artwork, DC Bar Arts, Entertainment and Sports Law Newsletter (Spring 1995)
Resale Royalties in the United States for Fine Visual Artists: An Alien Concept, 40 Journal of the Copyright Society 265 (1993) (cited in Nimmer copyright treatise) (available on WESTLAW)
Droit De Suite: The Artist’s Resale Royalty, A Report of the Register of Copyrights (December 1992) (recipient of Special Achievement Award)
Copyright Liability of States and the Eleventh Amendment, A Report of the Register of Copyrights (June 1998) (legislation based on this report holding states liable for monetary damages in copyright infringement suits was subsequently signed into law by then-President Bush)
Honors & Awards:
International Who’s Who of Business Lawyers (Entertainment Law), 2013-2016
Martindale-Hubbell, Platinum Client Champion, 2020-
Martindale-Hubbell, AV Preeminent, 2020-
Super Lawyers, 2023-