How many lawyers does it take to protect a telecom patent or trademark?

More than ever, said Richard Maury, a partner with Marks & Clerk, a law firm with offices in Canada, Paris, the U.K., Hong Kong and Shanghai, China. As telecom becomes an increasingly international industry, ensuring the protection of patents and trademarks has become more complex. Major manufacturers and telcos often rely on in-house or outsourced lawyers in their home country who form partnerships with law firms in other markets to keep up with new filings and infringements, Maury said.

Marks & Clerk, whose telecom clients include Ericsson and AT&T, is one of the more unusual exhibitors at NXTcomm. But as Maury explained, the move is in keeping with the direction the firm has been heading. Traditionally the firm did its social networking at intellectual property events. “But more recently, we made the decision to go more directly to industry sectors,” Maury said. “NXTcomm seemed like an opportunity to further our interests and find out what’s going on.”

So what’s hot in the patent area these days? “3G and 4G inventions are all being patented by many different competitors and they’re clashing,” Maury said. In some cases, two companies may independently come up with the same idea, but in other cases, one company may simply copy another’s idea, changing it slightly before applying for a patent. “There will be big legal battles,” Maury predicted.

Another trend, Maury said, is the increased importance of the Chinese market—and an increased willingness on the part of Chinese interests to prosecute domestic manufacturers who infringe on patents for products developed outside their home market.

“They have wanted most favored national status with the U.S. and are getting more keen to show that they’re enforcing foreigners’ interests,” said Maury.