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Boutique Intellectual Property Counsel

Protecting creativity
in a digital world.

Bathke IP is a boutique intellectual property firm for people and companies who create and build, with a focus on copyright, trademark, right of publicity, and the emerging law of artificial intelligence.

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Badge displaying "Rated by Super Lawyers" with the name John Bathke and year 2026.
★ Super Lawyers, Top Rated Intellectual Property Litigation Attorney
Chicago
New York City
Los Angeles
Practice Areas

Four focused areas, one connected idea

We do not try to be everything. We focus on the rights that turn your works, your brand, and your identity into protectable, enforceable assets, both inside and outside the courtroom.

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1

Copyright

Protecting your creative works: Registration, licensing, and enforcement strategy for musicians, filmmakers, photographers, and writers, including fair use analysis, DMCA takedowns, and disputes over unauthorized use of original works.

Registration
Licensing
Infringement
Fair Use
DMCA
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2

Trademark

Protecting your brand: Clearance, registration, and brand enforcement strategy for both startups and established companies with portfolio management as the business scales.

Clearance
Registration
Enforcement
Portfolios
Oppositions
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3

Right of Publicity

Protecting your name, image, likeness, and voice: Strategic licensing and enforcement against unauthorized use for entertainers, athletes, and influencers.

Name & Likeness
Voice
Licensing
Endorsements
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4

AI & Intellectual Property

Counsel at the edge of the field: Helping creators, entrepreneurs, companies, and developers navigate AI and IP issues, including training-data use, AI-assisted works, model licensing, and infringement risk.

Training Data
Output Ownership
Licensing
Risk Review
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Why Bathke IP

A boutique built for creative and technology-driven work.

Intellectual property is where original ideas meet hard legal lines. Our clients are makers and builders: artists who need their work respected, and companies that need their rights to hold up under scrutiny.

As a boutique, the person you meet is the person doing the work. That means direct access, fewer layers, and advice shaped by how creative and technology businesses actually operate, not a generic template applied to your matter.

3
Home markets: Chicago, New York, Los Angeles
4
Focused areas of intellectual property practice
English · French · Spanish
Languages John speaks with clients
★
Super Lawyers Top Rated IP Litigation recognition

Technology-forward

We work where IP is heading, from generative AI to digital distribution, not just where it has been. Creative Solutions for an Evolving World.

Creative and commercial fluency

We understand both sides of the equation: the artist protecting a body of work and the founder protecting a brand and business while keeping an eye on the balance sheet. Creative insight. Business Sense.

International perspective

We coordinate protection and enforcement across the jurisdictions and markets that matter to your work. Creative work crosses borders.
Areas Served

Three creative capitals, one firm

Bathke IP serves creators and brands in Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, and wherever their work takes them. Because many intellectual property matters arise under federal law and can be handled remotely, distance is rarely a barrier.

Illinois

Chicago

Bathke IP’s home base, serving Midwest musicians, studios, startups, and brand owners protecting and licensing their work.

New York

New York City

Advising clients in publishing, media, fashion, and entertainment on copyright, trademark, and right-of-publicity matters.

California

Los Angeles

Supporting filmmakers, performers, content creators, and technology companies working at the intersection of media and AI.

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The Attorney

John Bathke

Founder & Intellectual Property Attorney

John Bathke represents creators, brands, and technology companies in copyright, trademark, right-of-publicity, and artificial-intelligence matters. His practice includes registration, licensing, enforcement, and dispute strategy for clients protecting the work, identities, and brands that drive their businesses.

He brings practical, business-minded counsel to creative and technology-focused matters, helping clients evaluate risk, protect valuable rights, and make informed decisions as their work and businesses grow.

Recognition

Super Lawyers, Top Rated Intellectual Property Litigation Attorney in Peoria Heights, Illinois
Focus

Copyright, Trademark, Right of Publicity, AI & Intellectual Property
Markets

Chicago, New York City, and Los Angeles
Contact

john@bathkeip.com

Insights

Questions

Frequently asked

We work with creative professionals and the companies that build around them: musicians, filmmakers, photographers, writers, content creators, and entertainers, alongside startups, technology companies, and developers protecting their work in a digital world.

No. Bathke IP focuses on copyright, trademark, right of publicity, and AI and intellectual property. We do not handle patent prosecution, and we will gladly refer you to trusted patent counsel when a matter calls for it.

The best time is before you launch or scale. Early clearance and registration reduce the risk of an expensive rebrand later and put you in a far stronger position if someone else adopts a confusingly similar mark.

Copyright protects your original creative work from unauthorized copying. Registering your copyright further strengthens your ability to enforce those rights.

The right of publicity protects against unauthorized commercial use of your name, image, likeness, and voice. The commercial value of your identity should be protected and licensed on your own terms.

Generative AI raises new questions about training data, ownership of AI-assisted output, licensing, and infringement exposure. We advise both creators concerned about unauthorized use of their work and the companies and developers building with these tools.

Yes. Copyright and trademark matters are largely governed by federal law, and much of our work can be handled remotely. We regularly serve clients beyond our three home markets and coordinate with international counsel when a matter crosses borders.

You will speak directly with John Bathke about your work, your goals, and what is at stake. Together, you will discuss your options, the likely path forward, and a clear scope before any engagement begins.

Let’s protect what you create.

Tell us about what you are trying to protect: your work, your brand, your identity. We will tell you plainly whether, and how, we can help.

EMAIL
john@bathkeip.com
PHONE
(312) 221-3000
HOURS
By appointment, across three time zones
Chicago
33 N. Dearborn St., Ste. 900
Chicago, IL 60602
New York
535 Fifth Avenue
4th Floor
New York, NY 10017
Los Angeles
835 Wilshire
5th Floor
Los Angeles, CA 90017

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