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John Whitaker counsels clients on technology protection and the enforcement of intellectual property rights, including patents, copyrights, trademarks, and trade secrets. He routinely represents technology clients in the software, computer, medical device, and telecommunications industries, and he also helps artists and authors to protect their original works. John’s technical experience includes work in machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI), Internet communications technologies, autonomous vehicles, cryptography and steganography, network communications and security, online advertising, operating systems, productivity software, medical devices, and more. John has represented clients at the U.S. Patent Office and in federal courts around the country, assisting them in enforcing and defending their intellectual property rights.

Prior to joining COJK, John worked at various prominent law firms, including Merchant & Gould P.C. and Jones & Askew, LLP.  John served as a Judge Advocate in the U.S. Army Reserve from 2009 - 2019, providing legal services to eligible military personnel at various military facilities around the world, including Seattle area-based Joint Base Lewis McChord.  Before becoming an attorney, John was a software engineer working on the national missile defense effort.  Specifically, John was involved in strategic defense initiative projects such as ground-based radar, ground-based surveillance and tracking, and antisatellite programs.

John regularly presents on IP topics to clients and in-house legal teams, and at local bar associations. He is named to the list of The Best Lawyers in America.

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  • Technical Experience

    • System Engineer
      ​Teledyne Brown Engineering, 1990 – 1993
    • Engineering Technician
      P/D/R Engineers, 1986 - 1990
  • Professional Affiliations

    • American Intellectual Property Law Association
    • Federal Bar Association of the Western District of Washington
    • Federal Circuit Bar Association
    • Intellectual Property Owners Association
  • Presentations & Publications

    Presentations

    • “The World According to Section 112,” Washington State Patent Law Association (Seattle, WA, June 2020).

    • “IP Enforcement Strategies,” Washington State Bar Association, Intellectual Property Section (Seattle, WA, September 2019).

    • “Patent Issues on Open Source Software and Standards Organizations," Washington State Patent Law Association, panelist (Seattle, WA, January 2019).
    • “Patent Practitioner Review: Ethics, Pro Bono and Office Practice," Washington State Patent Law Association, panelist (Redmond, WA, January 2017).

     

    Publications 

    • Inter Partes Review Strategy May Change Based on Recent SAS Inst. Inc. v. Iancu,” Whitaker, J.E. [May 2018].

Education

    • The Judge Advocate General's Legal Center and School, U.S. Army, 2010
    • J.D., magna cum laude, Cumberland School of Law – Samford University, 1996
    • B.S.E.E., The University of Alabama in Huntsville, 1990

Bar & Court Admissions

    • Bar Admission: Washington
    • Appellate Courts: United States Supreme Court, Federal Circuit,
      Ninth Circuit
    • District Courts: E.D. Tex., E.D. Wash., E.D. Wis., N.D.  Ala., S.D. Tex., W.D. Wash., W.D. Wis.
    • United States Patent and
      Trademark Office
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