The extended strength of the technology sector has ensured California’s dominant position in the U.S. economy and continues to contribute enormously to global growth.  New technologies and new media, and the convergence of technology and media, are of increasing importance at Greenberg Glusker.

In the technology area, Greenberg Glusker operates a Silicon Valley-type practice.  We represent a number of important software and technology companies, both in Northern and Southern California, for which we undertake a wide variety of licensing and other transactions. 

We provide niche specialty counsel in international transactions for technology companies.  Greenberg Glusker also handles numerous investments in the alternative energy sector. 

In the new media sector, we have been at the forefront of designing licenses for novel content distribution methods.  And given our dominant media Hollywood practice, we are an ideal choice as strategic counselors to navigate the juncture of technology and content.

We also represent numerous Internet companies, as well as the Internet business of media and brick-and-mortar companies. Our Technology Group handles the array of matters that Internet companies generally require, from advertising agreements to content licenses, terms and conditions of use, and privacy policies.

We deal with a wide variety of license and other agreements, including OEM, VAR, distribution, reseller and development agreements, and web development agreements.

As the Internet has flattened the earth, our unique knowledge of international issues, including international tax issues, has helped our clients take advantage of the instant international presence that the Internet permits.

Typical recent transactions have ranged from designing a complex licensing scheme for a prominent studio, which was implementing a system to transmit movie trailers over an extranet to those with the requisite permissions, to handling the licensing of motion capture technology to another major film studio.  Our range of counsel also includes handling a large software licensing deal between a software company based in Northern California and the German branch of one of the world’s largest banks.  We settled a dispute between a large Silicon Valley software company and a large Virginia-based financial institution and designed Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) licenses for a large software company moving from packaged software to a web-based solution.

In one representational deal, we helped to restructure the Latin American operations of a $4 billion Northern California- based computer peripheral and electronics company. We handled all Internet development and website development deals for the world’s largest production music library, an “iTunes” for the film, television and videogames industries.  And for a Northern California-based mobile games publisher with many of the largest wireless carriers in Latin America, we also negotiated most of the mobile games download deals, which were completed in Spanish.

In addition, our Firm maintains an active practice in eCommerce, Internet and web development deals for a wide variety of clients.

Representative Experience

• Drafted a license agreement for a peer-to-peer film trailer content distribution extranet based on BitTorrent technology for one of the leading film studios.
• Represented Logitech Inc., one of the world’s leading computer peripheral and electronics manufacturers, in the development of an international warranty for use throughout the world, and in the structuring of its Latin American operations.
• On behalf of one of the world’s largest investors in alternative energy technologies, we conducted intellectual property due diligence on more than a dozen deals.
• Conducted a survey for Symantec Corp. in more than 25 Latin American countries on whether automatic renewal, and charging a customer’s credit card is permissible in the context of annual antivirus online subscription.
• Negotiated Internet portal or website development deals for a variety of web-based companies.  These include the world’s largest production music library, APM Music, one of the world’s leading film stars and an Internet site focusing upon child actors, Children in Film. 
• Handled all terms and conditions of use and privacy for a wide variety of Internet sites and companies including James Ray International and Adlink, a leader in cable TV advertising.
• Negotiated a complex license for Aldon Computer Group with one of the world’s largest banks.
• For Informatica Corp. of Redwood City, we negotiated a number of professional services and other deals with Fortune 100 companies, leading railroads and electric utilities.

For more information, please contact Richard E. Neff, Chair of Greenberg Glusker's Technology Law Group.