Blake R. Hartz

Blake’s practice focuses on intellectual property litigation in both federal court and administrative proceedings at the USPTO. He has worked on all stages of disputes, from pre-filing investigations and enforcement letters through pleadings, motion practice, discovery, trial, and appeal. Blake also maintains active patent and trademark prosecution dockets, including serving as U.S. counsel for overseas companies and attorneys. Through searching, investigations, legal research, and writing, Blake supports various opinion and transactional matters at the firm, including patentability and clearance opinions, licensing, and due diligence.

Based on his mathematics training, Blake brings a logical, rigorous approach to legal analysis and client services. In all of his work, Blake strives to provide: effective, clear writing and advocacy; comprehensive knowledge of the law, factual record, and technology at issue; and practical, common-sense advice.

His legal work has served clients in a vast range of industries, including medical devices, sporting goods, skincare, building materials and construction, chemicals, telecommunications, electronics components, lighting, food and beverage, pharmaceuticals, automotive components, packaging, and various consumer products.

Blake serves as an adjunct professor at the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law in Indianapolis. Outside of the law, he enjoys spending time pursuing his lifelong hobby of playing music, where his performances have included a one-night-only rock band, restaurant ambience gigs, stadiums with more than 100,000 spectators, and hundreds of church services.

Representative Experience

• Representing plaintiff manufacturer in multi-patent infringement litigation against direct competitor in decade-long lawsuit and related USPTO proceedings, including coordinating with multiple outside firms, vendors, and in-house management, personnel, and witnesses.
• Trial counsel for defendant in trade secret litigation, with millions at stake, resulting in defense verdict.
• Representing small business plaintiff in patent infringement litigation against multinational chemical company.
• Representing medical device company, established priority of invention over competitor in interference proceeding.
• Representing defendant telecommunications device manufacturer, obtained summary judgment invalidating four patents, affirmed on appeal.
• Inter partes review (IPR) proceedings before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB), representing both Petitioners and Patent Owners.
• Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB) proceedings, representing both Applicants and Opposers/Petitioners.
• Work on teams procuring and managing trademark portfolios with thousands of U.S. and foreign matters.
• Procuring trademark registrations and managing portfolios with thousands of U.S. and foreign matters.

Attorney News

Professional Affiliations

• Indiana State Bar Association
  • Intellectual Property Section, Chair, 2022-2023
  • Litigation Section Council, District 7 Representative, 2019-2021
  • Leadership Development Academy, Class 9
• Indianapolis Bar Association
• S. Jay Plager Intellectual Property American Inn of Court
• International Trademark Association

Speaking Engagements

• Adjunct Professor, Trademark Law, Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law, 2023–present
• Adjunct Professor, International Intellectual Property, Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law, 2021-present
• Presenter, Current Issues Around Non-Traditional IP Litigants, Inn of Court CLE, January 2024
• Presenter, How Indiana State Law Affects IP Practice, Inn of Court CLE, November 2022
• Presenter, Intro to Patent Law and Career Opportunities, Saint Mary's College Engineering Program, November 2021
• Program Chair, Developments in Patent Litigation and Post-Grant Proceedings, Inn of Court CLE, September 2021
• Presenter, IP Basics for Non-IP Attorneys, Indiana State Bar Association's Solo & Small Firm Conference, June 2021
• Presenter, Ethical Considerations in Life Sciences IP and Related Areas, Inn of Court CLE, October 2020
• Presenter, IP Management, Inn of Court CLE, February 2020
• Presenter, Patent Infringement and Patent Validity Issues in Arbitration, Inn of Court CLE, January 2019

Publications

• “How website terms of service may impact copyright claims,” The Indiana Lawyer, March 26, 2025.
• “Reclaiming the web: Three ways to combat counterfeit websites,” The Indiana Lawyer, March 27, 2024.
• “COVID-19 as a roadmap for IP exceptions new and old,” The Indiana Lawyer, March 28, 2023.
• “What is the role of AI in IP law? It depends.” The Indiana Lawyer, December 7, 2022.
• “What’s intellectual property got to do with war in Ukraine?” The Indiana Lawyer, March 30, 2022.
• “Social media sponsorship disclosures in 2021,” The Indiana Lawyer, December 8, 2021.
• “New procedures on the way from recent (and future) IP Legislation,” The Indiana Lawyer, April 14, 2021.
• “Don`t let intellectual property be an after-pandemic thought,” The Indiana Lawyer, December 9, 2020.
• Newman, J., Dissenting: Another Vision of the Federal Circuit, 3 IP THEORY 47 (2012)