Ross A. Dannenberg

My Name is Ross, and I am an attorney

Yes, I am an attorney.  A computer software, video game, intellectual property attorney, but an attorney nonetheless.  If you are looking for legal help regarding a video game or other software you created, let me know.  I can assist with procurement, licensing, and enforcement regarding patents, copyrights, and trademarks, and have extensive experience with video games, art, music, mobile, and web 2.0 technologies.  

  • Design
  • Mobile
  • Film
  • Photo

what i do

Intellectual Property

Regardless of whether you're a startup company or an industry heavyweight, intellectual property (IP) is critical to your company's success.  I can help you obtain patents, copyrights, and trademarks in the most efficient manner and in the best interests of the company. I have prepared and prosecuted thousands of patent, trademark and copyright cases in a wide variety of software-related technology areas including video games, Internet, e-commerce, web 2.0, mobile apps, telecommunications, network management and administration, databases, logic design, retail applications, aviation, and many many more.  

Software & Video Game Law

With an undergraduate degree in computer science from Georgia Tech, I understand software, and how software is created.  Since first playing an Atari 2600 in 4th grade I have been hooked on video games.  Regardless of whether you're a musician, painter, scultptor, level designer, graphic artist, or hard core coder, you are bound to run into one or more legal conundrums along the way.  I will help you protect your video game and software innovations to the maximum extent possible under the law, leaving you the time and peace of mind to do what you do best--create!

Business Advice

With an undergraduate degree in computer science from Georgia Tech, I understand the business of software development, and I know how complication a publishing agreement can get.  Whether you need assistance with content licensing, publishing contracts, model releases, understanding the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), business contracts, or just dealing with employees and contractors, I can help.  If you get sued or need to enforce your own intellectual property rights, I can represent you in court.

sample clients

bio


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Yes, I copied this from my law firm's web site, so it is in the third person...

Ross Dannenberg handles a wide-range of intellectual property issues, with experience in Internet, e-commerce, telecommunications, and computer software-related issues. With a background in computer science, Ross has prepared and prosecuted hundreds of patent applications in a variety of technical fields, including mobile and traditional telecommunications, computer software, video games, and Internet and business method inventions. He also has experience with intellectual property protection of video games, including patent and copyright protection, copyright clearance, and licensing, and has experience with entertainment, copyright, trademark and domain name related matters. Mr. Dannenberg is an adjunct copyrights professor at George Mason University School of Law.

Mr. Dannenberg earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science from the Georgia Institute of Technology with concentrations in Telecommunications and Database Management. Between his undergraduate studies and law school, Mr. Dannenberg was an Information Systems Manager for Carnival Cruise Lines, where he was responsible for all facets of computer and network use, training, and administration aboard a cruise ship. He earned his Juris Doctor from The George Washington University Law School in 2000, where he was a member of The Environmental Lawyer legal journal.

Mr. Dannenberg is the founding Chair of the American Bar Association's (ABA) IP Section Committee on Computer Games and Virtual Worlds, and is the Editor-in-Chief of the Patent Arcade website. Mr. Dannenberg is the author of The American Bar Association’s Legal Guide to Video Game Production, published by the ABA in 2011, and is the executive editor of Computer Games and Virtual Worlds: A New Frontier in Intellectual Property Law, published by the ABA IP Section in 2010. Mr. Dannenberg currently serves on the Steering Committee of the Intellectual Property Rights Committee of the International Game Developers Association. Mr. Dannenberg earned his Private Pilot's license in 1999, and is a former member of the Lawyer Pilots Bar Association and International Technology Law Association. Mr. Dannenberg is a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation.

Mr. Dannenberg's representative clients include multinational software, networking, and telecommunications companies, a virtual world software developer having a user base of over 4 million users, video game developers and publishers, and emerging technology companies.

Mr. Dannenberg practices in Banner & Witcoff's Washington, D.C. office.