Steve Wietrzny (vee-yetch-nee) practices in the area of intellectual property, including patent and trademark prosecution and related IP asset management and enforcement. He focuses on assisting clients in obtaining U.S. and foreign patent protection in an array of technologies as well as securing protection of industrial designs throughout the world. Mr. Wietrzny’s experience includes:

• Patenting mechanical and electromechanical devices and systems, such as the fuel delivery control components used in NASA’s scramjet powered X-43A “Hyper-X” vehicle to set an air speed record for air- breathing vehicles and used in Boeing’s scramjet powered X-51 “WaveRider” vehicle to achieve the longest duration flight at speeds over Mach 5.
  
  
• Administering a large design patent portfolio and securing design patents and registrations domestically and abroad.
  
  
• Advising clients in developing and exploiting intellectual property and related strategic business considerations, including performing patent analyses, such as evaluation of right to practice, invalidity and patentability, and preparation of product clearance and related opinions.
  
  
• Enforcing clients’ patent rights and defending against claims of patent infringement, including experience with cease-and-desist demands, claim construction, Markman hearings, and trial and appellate pleadings.
  
  
• Part of a team successfully defending a multi-national medical supply company against a claim of patent infringement for a patented medical fabric by achieving a favorable claim construction ruling.
  
  
• Part of a team obtaining summary judgment of non-infringement in favor of a paper-making equipment manufacturer against a claim of patent infringement. Advanced Fiber Technologies Trust v. J&L Fiber Services, 751 F. Supp. 2nd 348 (N.D. NY 2010).

Representative industries/products include: jet engine/rocket fuel flow control systems, power generation fuel flow control systems, pulp screening and refining equipment, plumbing systems, refrigeration and cold-storage appliances, footwear and apparel, plasma treatment equipment, tamper-evident sealing equipment, automotive sub-systems, packaging, hydraulics, pumps/compressors, batteries, mechanical couplings and conveyors, ultrasound and x-ray imaging, medical and dental devices, speech recognition, and the industrial design of such products, especially plumbing fittings/fixtures, furniture and household appliances.