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Ronald Karam is Co-Chair of the Firm’s Intellectual Property Practice Group. Prior to entering law school, Mr. Karam was a member of the technical staff at Bell Laboratories (now Lucent Technologies), where he was engaged in research and development of microcomputer-based communications products.

From 1997 through 2001, Mr. Karam served on the faculty of the University of Pennsylvania Law School, where he taught computer law.

Mr. Karam concentrates his practice in computer law, including licensing and e-commerce transactional matters and litigation of patent and copyright infringement actions and other commercial disputes related to computer software, hardware, and e-commerce. Mr. Karam has negotiated numerous patent licenses, software license and distribution agreements, and other agreements relating to e-commerce.

News & Publications

Community & Pro Bono

  • A graduate of the Leadership, Inc. program, Mr. Karam served for eight years on the Board of Directors of the International Visitors’ Council of Philadelphia.

Education

  • University of Pennsylvania Law SchoolJ.D.cum laude1983
  • Polytechnic University of New YorkM.S.summa cum laude1978
  • Polytechnic University of New YorkB.S.

Bar Admissions

  • Pennsylvania, 1983

Other Distinctions

  • Listed in The Best Lawyers in America for Information Technology Law, 2017-2023, and Technology Law, 2020-2023
  • Named “Lawyer of the Year” for Information Technology Law, 2023

Representative Matters

  • Negotiated a data protection agreement for a large public school district in a transaction involving Google Apps for Education;
  • Defense of a software development firm in an action for infringement of a patent for a method of displaying data;
  • Representation of an online game company in an action for copyright infringement of its data formats;
  • Representation of a CAD software development firm in a copyright infringement and breach of contract action arising from Defendant’s exceeding the permitted use of licensed software under an OEM software license agreement;
  • Representation of a gaming company in a copyright infringement and breach of contract action arising from defendant’s exceeding the permitted use of licensed software under a software license agreement;
  • Defense of a fence tubing manufacturer in an action arising from infringement of a patent on a configuration of barbed tape;
  • Representation of a supplier of medical products in an action for infringement of a patent on a prosthetic device;
  • Counseling of major publisher of industrial products directories on database protection issues;
  • Negotiation and preparation of patent and copyright license agreements and software development agreements;
  • Acquisition of integrated hardware and software systems;
  • Negotiation of numerous e-commerce agreements;
  • Preparation of outsourcing agreements for MIS services;
  • Litigation of claims arising from alleged failure of software and hardware;
  • Litigation and counseling of copyright infringement claims relating to computer software; and
  • Investigations of the derivation and ownership of intellectual property rights.