Digesting intellectual property

The food technology industry is increasing efforts to protect innovation

Rising litigation over intellectual property issues in the food technology industry has spurred a tome dedicated to what has become a high-stakes arena for food manufacturers and inventors. Intellectual Property in the Food Technology Industry – Protecting Your Innovation swiftly moves from Coca-Cola® to McDonald's®; Splenda® to Jell-O®, as top brands strive to protect their creativity.

The authors—Ryan W. O'Donnell, John J. O'Malley, Randolph J. Huis and Gerald B. Halt, Jr.—are shareholders at the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania-based intellectual property law firm of Volpe and Koenig, P.C. The book is published by Springer, the world's largest publisher of books in the science, technology, and medicine (STM) sector.

Over the last five years, Volpe and Koenig has become recognized in the food technology industry for their involvement as educators and participants in the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT). The book was released in conjunction with the recent IFT annual meeting, which took place in New Orleans, Louisiana.

"We identified the lawyers at Volpe and Koenig as the perfect choice to author a book on IP and innovation in food technology," said Susan Safren, Senior Editor, Food Science, at Springer. "This is a subject that is top of mind with large food providers and inventors. Almost any day, you can open up the newspaper to see disputes over patents, trademarks, copyrights and trade secrets."

Increasing federal and state regulation, the Internet and both domestic and international enforcement concerns increase the level of knowledge and sophistication needed to protect an IP portfolio. The book is a singular resource for those seeking IP guidance in the world of food and beverage.