Damon Ashcraft assists clients in identifying, protecting, and maximizing the value of their intellectual property. In that regard, he has experience conducting intellectual property audits, preparing patent and trademark applications, preparing intellectual property and software license agreements, and handling various intellectual property litigation matters, including actions for patent infringement. Damon has a keen understanding of the needs of emerging companies and is often called upon to identify and protect and monetize a company's intellectual property assets. Further, Damon often is called upon to provide training to clients' employees in identifying valuable intellectual property.
As a registered patent attorney, Damon prepares and prosecutes patent applications in the biotechnology, medical device, electronics, software and business method areas, and manages numerous global patent portfolios. His technical experience includes medical devices, software, microbiology, optics, pumps, heaters, ultrasound, semiconductors, wireless devices, software and circuitry.
Damon has experience in domestic and foreign trademark registration and currently manages numerous trademark portfolios. Further, he enforces and defends clients’ trademark rights before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board and in various federal and state courts. Damon has represented trademark owners in numerous domain name disputes resolved by the Universal Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy, or “UDRP.” Damon is also familiar with other rights protection mechanisms available to stop infringement online including the Uniform Rapid Suspension or “URS,” the trademark clearinghouse, and ICANN’s new gTLD program.
He also negotiates intellectual property and software assignments, license agreements, material transfer agreements and research development agreements. Damon’s practice further includes assisting clients in handling intellectual property transfer and due diligence during mergers and acquisitions. His experience with mergers and acquisitions include serving as the principal intellectual property attorney on deals valued in the range of twenty-five million dollars to over eight hundred million dollars.
Damon is a frequent speaker on various intellectual property topics and has authored and co-authored various articles. He is also an active leader within the International Trademark Association ("INTA") and the Intellectual Property Constituency (IPC) of Internet Corporation of Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) which has a significant role in Internet governance.
As part of his role with ICANN, Damon served as the Chair of ICANN’s Nominating Committee (NomCom) in 2018-2019 which appoints 50% of ICANN’s Board of Directors and other key leadership positions within ICANN. Previously, Damon served as Chair-Elect to the NomCom and represented the Intellectual Property Constituency as its delegate to the NomCom. These roles have given Damon a unique insight and experience with respect to Internet Governance.
