Karol A. Kepchar’s practice centers on trademark, copyright, Internet, unfair competition and anticounterfeiting law. Her experience includes litigation; trademark, copyright and technology licensing; and intellectual property counseling and licensing in M&A and corporate restructuring matters.
Ms. Kepchar regularly assists clients in implementing an efficient, cost-effective, process-based approach to managing and leveraging intellectual property assets, through anticounterfeiting programs and enforcement, litigation and licensing programs. She advises clients on a wide variety of issues, including global and regional branding programs, licenses and strategic alliance agreements, litigation, Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB) proceedings, domain name disputes, the Anti-Cybersquatting Consumer Protection Act (ACPA), ICANN UDRP arbitration procedures and privacy and data security issues.
Ms. Kepchar has handled more than 100 opposition, cancellation and concurrent use proceedings before the TTAB of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Notably, she represented the opposer in the first opposition sustained by the TTAB on the ground of federal trademark dilution after dilution became a ground for opposition in 1999 (The Nasdaq Stock Market, Inc. v. Antartica Srl).
Ms. Kepchar has handled dozens of ICANN UDRP and ACPA cybersquatting cases and is frequently sought out as a speaker on cybersquatting and search engine marketing abuses.
Ms. Kepchar is the former chair of the Trademark, Copyright and Unfair Competition Committee of the Philadelphia Intellectual Property Law Association.
An authority on intellectual property and the Internet, Ms. Kepchar has written extensively on and has been quoted in the press about the subject. She is a frequent lecturer as well. Her presentations include—
- lecturer, “Domain Names and Cybersquatting” (Strafford Publications, June 2009)
- lecturer, “Cybersquatting: Protecting Your Brand and Marks from Online Infringement” (Strafford Publications, April 2009)
- lecturer, “Surveys in Trademark Litigation” in Litigating Trademark and Unfair Competition Claims (ALI-ABA 2008)
- panelist, “Who Owns Culture” (George Mason University, 2005)
- lecturer, “Trademarks and the Internet” (Licensing Executives Society)
- co-chair and lecturer, Trademarks, Copyrights and Unfair Competition for the General Practitioner (ALI-ABA, 2001-2007)
- co-planner and lecturer at Akin Gump’s First Executive Women’s Symposium on Privacy and Security (October 2003).
Ms. Kepchar is active in the firm’s pro bono practice and received a “Pro Bono Challenge” award in 2009 in recognition of her work on pro bono matters.
Ms. Kepchar is currently a member of the firm’s and the Washington, D.C. office’s diversity committees and the Washington, D.C. office’s hiring committee and was formerly on the board of GayLaw (2005-2007).
Ms. Kepchar received her B.A. with honors from Bryn Mawr College in 1984 and her J.D. with honors from the Temple University School of Law in 1992. She is a member of the American and Virginia bar associations, the U.S. Copyright Society, the International Anticounterfeiting Coalition and the International Trademark Association. Ms. Kepchar is a member of the District of Columbia, Virginia and Pennsylvania bars.