Jack Clifford practices patent, trademark, and copyright law, with an emphasis on trademark and advertising law, for clients all over the world, particularly U.S. firms and Europeans. He counsels clients with large, global portfolios of intellectual property and with complex business issues involving patents and trademarks, including litigation. Jack has extensive experience working with private label manufacturers, luxury goods makers, and cosmetics companies.
Jack has always admired creative people — those artists and businesspeople who imagine and invent products and services and, in doing so, propel the economy forward. He loves his part in the process, helping his clients successfully navigate the interface between intellectual property and their businesses to build and protect the asset value of their companies.
As the filing correspondent for more than 5,000 United States Trademark and Service Mark applications and more than 900 trademark oppositions and cancellations proceedings, Jack is dedicated to successfully exploiting his clients' opportunities in the marketplace and protecting their intellectual property. He also serves as an expert witness in trademark matters and as a qualified neutral for alternative dispute resolution.
Jack Clifford was the first lawyer ever to assert "Trademark Bullying" as an affirmative defense before the United States Trademark Trial and Appeal Board, leading to a vigorous debate about the practice. Jack has defended many clients against patent trolls, also known as Non-Practicing Entities (NPEs), and created a webpage to bring helpful information to the victims of attempted patent trolling.
Jack lives in Phoenix, Arizona, is married, has three grown children, two adult step-children, and enjoys winemaking, downhill skiing, golf, painting, traveling, and listening to good music. He is proud to have spent his entire legal career, since 1981, at Merchant & Gould.