Auzville Jackson, Jr.
Auzville Jackson, Jr. was a patent lawyer, founder and president of The Jackson Patent Groupc and formerly a high-technology executive.
Auzzie’s activities were mostly devoted to counseling and representing businesses, individuals, and universities on intellectual property matters, including policies and strategies, infringement litigation, acting as a patent expert witness before Federal Tribunals, tutoring small groups of corporate executives on intellectual property, investigating and rendering opinions on patent and trademark matters, negotiating and preparing intellectual property agreements, technology commercialization, and the preparation and prosecution of patent, trademark, and copyright applications.
Legal Experience
Patent Examiner, United States Patent and Trademark Office (1950 -1952)
Both the basic and advanced patent examining courses were completed. Technology fields examined included industrial production processes and related equipment. One field involved processing and equipment for multiple diverse technologies which were utilized simultaneously. This required examination in most industrial fields in the Patent Office.
Patent Advisor, Office of Naval Research (1952 -1956)
ONR at the time had responsibility for all Navy research as well as for the space program and many of the programs later undertaken by the National Science Foundation and Defense Advanced Projects Agency. The duties covered all fields of technology.
Patent Counsel, Reynolds Metals Company (1956 -1961)
Organized most of the domestic and international intellectual property activities of Reynolds. The main fields were packaging, industrial processes, structural, automotive, architectural, consumer products, and metallurgical processes and related apparatus.
Patent Counsel, Robertshaw Controls Company (1961 -1983)
Reorganized and managed Robertshaw’s patent and trademark operations. Robertshaw for many years was one of the top hundred U.S. patent and trademark operations from the standpoint of number of patents obtained. The work of Robertshaw involved electronic, pneumatic, hydraulic, and mechanical controls for the consumer, transportation, petrochemical, industrial building and textile industries. Served as co-counsel in extensive litigation against such major opponents as Honeywell, Emerson Electric, Equitable Assurance Society, and ITT. While at Robertshaw, Jackson became a Vice President with additional duties (see “Technology and Management Experience” below.)
Counsel, Luedeka and Neely, Knoxville (1984)
Practiced patent, trademark, copyright, and other intellectual property law.
Director, Intellectual Property and Law, Center for Innovative Technology (Part-time) (1985 -1986)
Responsibilities included all intellectual property matters, licensing, negotiations, and agreements. The work included all of the various technologies forwarded from the four CIT research institutes (Bio-Tech, Information, Computer-Aided Engineering, and Materials) and from various state universities, e.g., Virginia Tech, University of Virginia, Old Dominion University, and Virginia Commonwealth University.
Senior Counsel, Staas and Halsey (1986 - 1992)
Practiced patent, trademark, copyright, and other intellectual property law.
Law firm of Auzville Jackson, Jr. (1991 - 2012)
Practiced patent, trademark, copyright, and other intellectual property law.
High Technology Executive Experience
Started in advanced technology at age 20 as a young army officer selected to be one of the first trained in guided missiles. In those days, analog computers were used since the digital computer had not yet been invented. The missiles themselves were actually German missiles rescued at the end of World War II and cleaned up and painted to be the A9 and A10 missiles of the U.S. Army.
Vice President-Technology, Robertshaw Controls Company (1974 - 1983)
As chief technical officer of Robertshaw Controls Company, credit was given for taking Robertshaw into the microcomputer age. Additional duties included strategic planning, corporate development, and mergers and acquisitions.
President, Tennessee Technology Foundation (1983 - 1984)
The Tennessee Technology Foundation was charged with developing technology-based business in Tennessee, including start-ups, funding, spin-offs from government and university laboratories, national marketing, and building of the Tennessee Technology Corridor between Oak Ridge and Knoxville.
President, AJ Associates, Inc. (1985 - 1986)
High technology consulting.
Patent Expert Witness
Served as a patent expert witness in a variety of cases, which involved many different technologies and a number of legal issues. Technologies include high-speed tobacco machinery; automobile clutches; the chemistry, processes, and products for manufacturing specialty grommets; photographic equipment; the use of lasers on production lines; consumer items; excimer lasers for medical applications; stents for heart conditions; construction products; water sports equipment; and computer input peripherals. The legal issues included infringement, validity, antitrust, prosecution history estoppel, inequitable conduct, sufficiency of disclosure, doctrine of equivalents, damages, and most issues that arise in patent litigation. Most of the recent cases were jury trials.
Intellectual Property Tutorial
Provides general comprehensive and customized tutorials to corporate executives on the strategic use of intellectual property.
Congressional Testimony
Represented both the American Bar Association and the National Association of Manufacturers before congressional hearings on matters relating to intellectual property policies.
National Speaker
Frequently a national speaker on various technology and intellectual property matters, including being published in Vital Speeches of Today. Representative speeches include: “What the Federal Government Should and Should Not Do To Assist Innovation in Traditional Industries” at Stanford University; “Intellectual Property Strategies in a Changing World”, a workshop at the Industrial Research Institute’s annual meeting in Orlando, Florida; “Technology Transfer from Industries’ Perspective”, before the Technology Transfer Society in Washington, D.C. “Intellectual Property Management” at Charles University in Prague, Czechoslovakia.
Representative Present and Former Memberships
• Virginia State Bar – Was a founder and first chairman of the Patent, Trademark and Copyright Section, which is now one of the largest in the nation.
• American Bar Association – Had long been a leader in the Patent, Trademark and Copyright Section of the American Bar Association, having served as Chairman of numerous committees including Patent Office, Legislation, Contracts, Inventors, Small Business, Unauthorized Practice, Confidential Rights, Government Contracts, and University Intellectual Property Law. Also was Chairman of the Patent Division, Secretary, Editor, and for many years on the Council.
• American Intellectual Property Law Association – Served as Antitrust Committee Chairman and on the Board of Directors.
• Association of University Technology Managers.
• Virginia Academy of Science.
• International Trademark Association – Was Vice President and Director.
Education
Attended Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (BS in Engineering) and George Washington University (Juris Doctor). Also attended Carnegie-Mellon University and Virginia Commonwealth University.
Professorships
Formerly adjunct Associate Professor of Intellectual Property Law at the University of Richmond and lecturer on Intellectual Property Law at the College of William and Mary.
Bar Membership
Member of the Bar of the Commonwealth of Virginia and a registered Patent Attorney.
Other Activities
• Initiated the Inventor of the Year Award, given during annual ceremonies in Washington, DC.
• Was an inventor with patents in such diverse fields as microcomputer controlled environments, continuous casting of thin metal sheets through ultrafast solidification and electric furnaces.
• Was elected to the Cosmos Club in Washington, D.C. in 1983.