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
- Schnader Attorneys Named to The Best Lawyers in America
- Schnader Attorneys Named to The Best Lawyers in America
- Schnader Attorneys Named to The Best Lawyers in America
- Schnader Attorneys Named to The Best Lawyers in America 2020
- Schnader Attorneys Named to The Best Lawyers in America 2019
- 40 Schnader Attorneys Named to The Best Lawyers in America 2018
- Thirty-Seven Schnader Attorneys Selected for The Best Lawyers in America 2017
- Supreme Court Invalidates Aereo’s Streaming Service, Finding Existing Copyright Law Applies to the New Technology of Internet Retransmission of Television Signals
- Supreme Court Provides Guidance on the Subject Matter Eligibility of Computer-Implemented Inventions
- Supreme Court Adopts “Reasonable Certainty” Standard for Evaluating Indefiniteness Challenges to Patent Claims
- Aftermarket Competitors Given a Boost by the Supreme Court
- New Generic Top-Level Domains Will Create New Trademark Issues: The Trademark Clearinghouse Can Help
- Data Breach – Your Organization Needs a Plan
- Consider Taking These Actions Before March 16, 2013, The Effective Date of New U.S. Patent Laws
- FFIEC Proposes Guidance for Use of Social Media by Banks
- New Jersey Adopts Uniform Trade Secrets Act: Implications For Your Intellectual Property Portfolio
- Preventing the Unauthorized Use of Trademarks with a .xxx Generic Top Level Domain – Action Required by October 28, 2011
- Patent Prosecution Strategies Under the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act
- Pilot Program Established to Develop “Patent Specialist” U.S. District Court Judges in Fourteen Districts
- U.S. Supreme Court Affirms the Rule That Patent Infringers Must Prove Invalidity Defense by Clear and Convincing Evidence
- Ownership of Ideas in a Virtual World
- Ten Years From State Street to Bilski – And No End in Sight
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 School, J.D., cum laude, 1983
- Polytechnic University of New York, M.S., summa cum laude, 1978
- Polytechnic University of New York, B.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.
