Automation and Robotics

Common Intellectual Property Challenges

Automation and robotics are transforming industries—from industrial manufacturing and autonomous logistics to healthcare and consumer devices. Companies are deploying machines that respond to data in real-time, make independent decisions, and complete tasks that were once handled manually.

However, innovation at this scale introduces real risk. Intellectual property related to robotics often encompasses software algorithms, embedded control logic, sensor integration, and hardware architecture. Many systems use AI for navigation, diagnostics, or predictive actions—all of which are vulnerable to copying, reverse engineering, or internal misuse. If these assets aren’t adequately protected, companies may face infringement, compromised trade secrets, or lost investment across global markets.

The increased reliance on artificial intelligence, voice recognition, and edge computing also raises concerns about interoperability, cybersecurity, and the patentability of algorithm-driven features. For robotics companies scaling their technology across various industries, these risks can disrupt intellectual property enforcement and business continuity.

How We Can Help

At Brooks Kushman, we work with companies pushing the boundaries of automation. Our Automation and robotics intellectual property attorneys develop legal strategies tailored to how robotic systems are built and deployed, combining traditional patent protection with trade secret enforcement, licensing support, and software coverage.

We draft and prosecute patents that cover mechanical assemblies, adaptive control systems, image processing tools, and AI-based automation. Our team also helps clients document development pipelines, protect proprietary software code, and structure intellectual property frameworks that support licensing, commercialization, and future scalability.

Whether you’re building autonomous platforms, edge-deployed robotics, or machine learning-based automation, we help you secure the innovations driving your business.

Why Partner with Us?

Brooks Kushman has served the technology community for over 40 years, focusing on industries where innovation moves quickly and patents are crucial. Our Automation and Robotics intellectual property lawyers understand the convergence of mechanical systems, control software, and artificial intelligence, and how to build enforceable protections around them.

We partner with R&D departments, legal teams, and executive leadership to create long-term intellectual property strategies. Our experience spans domestic and international filings, freedom-to-operate analyses, litigation, and post-grant proceedings. Whether your robotics solution is used in logistics, medical settings, or manufacturing, we build legal strategies that reflect real-world use and market value.

Key IP Considerations for Automation & Robotics

Interdisciplinary Innovation

Automation and robotics inventions often blend mechanical engineering, electrical systems, computer science, and artificial intelligence. These technologies must function in physical environments and often interact with humans or other machines. Protecting innovations in this space requires a legal team that understands how software, hardware, and control systems come together. Our attorneys have deep technical backgrounds and hands-on experience working with clients to secure rights across these overlapping domains.

Protecting Integrated Systems

In robotics, the value of the innovation often lies in how the system integrates sensors, actuators, processors, and algorithms to complete tasks. It is rarely one component that defines the invention, but the coordinated functionality of the system as a whole. We help clients secure IP protection for the architecture, workflows, and communication protocols that make their automated systems unique and commercially valuable.

Patent Eligibility and Claim Strategy

Robotics and automation often involve both physical devices and software-driven processes. Ensuring these technologies are eligible for patent protection requires careful claim drafting that highlights technical improvements and tangible results. We work closely with clients to identify patentable features and prepare claims that reflect the full scope of the invention—from mechanical structure to algorithmic control.

Trade Secrets for Control Systems and Algorithms

Some companies choose to protect proprietary robotics algorithms, sensor fusion techniques, or control logic as trade secrets. This is especially common when the code or methods are difficult to reverse engineer and represent a core business advantage. We help clients implement confidentiality practices, employee agreements, and vendor protections that allow them to maintain long-term control of sensitive IP without public disclosure.

Freedom to Operate and Competitor Monitoring

The robotics and automation sector is growing rapidly, with patents being filed across industrial, consumer, medical, and logistics applications. We help clients evaluate the competitive landscape through freedom-to-operate (FTO) analyses and patent monitoring programs. This allows them to minimize infringement risks and identify potential licensing or design-around opportunities before launching new products.

Lifecycle-Aligned IP Strategy

Automation systems are often built into larger operational workflows, whether in a factory, warehouse, vehicle, or device. We take a lifecycle-based approach to IP protection that includes early R&D, pilot deployment, full-scale production, and aftermarket service. Our strategies account for how automation solutions are sold, integrated, and supported over time.

Global Protection Strategy

Robotics and automation solutions are deployed across global markets, often with manufacturing, sales, and service operations in multiple countries. We help clients develop coordinated international filing strategies, taking into account differences in patentability, enforcement, and software protection laws. Our team has experience managing global portfolios and working closely with trusted counsel in key regions.

Partnerships, Licensing, and Supply Chain Agreements

Automation and robotics projects often involve collaboration with component suppliers, systems integrators, and software developers. We support clients in structuring joint development agreements, licensing deals, and manufacturing contracts that clarify IP ownership, protect confidential inputs, and support long-term growth and scaling.

Specialty Practice Areas

• Computer Vision
• Control Systems
• Edge Computing
• Mechanical Structures
• Natural Language Processing
• Transfer Learning

Brooks Kushman helps automation innovators secure and enforce the technologies that shape the future. Whether your system moves, learns, responds, or adapts—we help protect what makes it unique.