In today's business market, real estate clients recognize both the potential and the risks associated with investments in ancillary businesses. And they recognize that when those business lines involve technology applications and e-commerce products, quick legal and business judgments are essential to staying ahead of the curve. At Womble Carlyle, we work closely with clients to help them:

• safeguard the value of intangible assets in an era of unprecedented challenges to traditional intellectual property protections;

• create new profit centers by marketing, licensing, branding and co-branding web-based applications, including the sale of domain names;

• share in sales royalties from e-commerce business units;

• structure the installation, customization and marketing of turnkey systems;

• comply with regulations governing e-commerce transactions and practices, including click-through contracts, electronic procurement, customization of customer information, software agreements, digital certificates and electronic security, online contracting under e-signature laws, customer privacy and data mining;

• maximize tax benefits from the use, ownership and exploitation of intellectual property.