Sean K. Owens

Sean K. Owens

  • Partner
  • Practice Group Leader Branding/Content

Sean Owens is a Partner at Wood Herron & Evans LLP and the Practice Group Leader for the Branding & Content group within the firm. Sean’s practice includes all aspects of trademarks, copyrights, and related fields involving media, advertising, privacy, licensing, and the internet. Sean is also an adjunct professor at the University of Cincinnati College of Law, where he teaches Trademark Law and Advertising Law. His previous teaching credits include Copyright Law and Introduction to Intellectual Property at UC’s College of Law, Electronic Media Law at UC’s College Conservatory of Music, and a course on intellectual property contract drafting, which he developed and taught for the Lunsford Academy at Northern Kentucky University’s Chase College of Law.

Sean has written and presented on a variety of intellectual property topics and conducted peer review of the book Computer Games and Virtual Worlds: A New Frontier in Intellectual Property Law (2d ed.), published by the American Bar Association. He has also assisted a variety of nonprofit organizations, including serving on the Boards of the Cincinnati chapter of the American Advertising Federation and The Literary Club of Cincinnati.

A native Cincinnatian, Sean lives in Prospect Hill and spends much of his free time learning the joys and tribulations of owning a 19th Century house.

Areas Of Practice

  • Copyrights
  • Publishing/Media
  • Trademarks
  • Advertising

Bar Admissions

  • Ohio, 2009

Education

  • University of Cincinnati College of Law, Cincinnati, Ohio
    • J.D. - 2008
    • Honors: University of Cincinnati College of Law Moot Court Honor Board
  • University of Cincinnati College of Business, Cincinnati, Ohio
    • B.B.A. - 2005
    • Major: Marketing
    • Major: Finance
    • Minor: Management

Published Works

  • "There’s Something New You Need to Know About Copyright Safe Harbor," Co-Authored with Steve Gillen, The IBPA Independent – Trade Monthly of the Independent Book Publishers Association, Vol. 35 No. 7, July, 2017
  • "Copyright ‘safe harbor’: A primer for PR pros," Co-Authored with Steve Gillen, Ragan’s PR Daily, April 19, 2017
  • "What You Need to Know About Copyright Safe Harbor", Cincinnati Bar Association Report, Feb., 2017
  • "Torts Uber Trademarks or Trademarks Uber Torts: That is the Question," Co-Authored with Ken Germain, BNA’s Patent, Trademark & Copyright Journal, 90 PTCJ 3211, Sept. 18, 2015
  • “What You Need to Know About Trademark Renewal and Registration Scams”, Cincinnati Bar Association Report, April, 2017
  • “Corporate Shuffle Starts the Clock on Employee Non-Competes”, Cincinnati Bar Association Report, May, 2011

Classes / Seminars

  • Advertising Law, University of Cincinnati College of Law, 2015, 2021 to Present
  • Copyright Law, University of Cincinnati College of Law, 2015, 2021 to Present
  • Introduction to Intellectual Property, University of Cincinnati College of Law, 2015, 2021 to Present
  • Trademark Law, University of Cincinnati College of Law, 2015, 2021 to Present
  • "Protect Yourself: Why Game Designers Need to Know Patents, Copyrights, and Trademarks," Co-Presented with David Fitzgerald, Gen-Con Gaming Convention, 2012, Present
  • Electronic Media Law, University of Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music, 2010, Present
  • “Understanding Fair Use: What it Is and Isn’t,” Co-Presented with Brian Chellgren, GAMA Expo, 2026
  • “Intellectual Property for Startups", Entrepreneur Workshop: From Idea to Asset, Kenton County Public Library, 2025
  • “Staying Out of Trouble – Your Legal Guide to Fearless Advertising,” Co-Presented with Lori Krafte, AdClub Cincinnati, 2024
  • "Intellectual Property and Other Intangible Rights - Drafting", Northern Kentucky University Chase College of Law, 2016 to 2023
  • “Uneasy Lies the Head That Wears the Crown - Crowns and Cloth Bags as Source Indicia of Whisky,” Co-Presented with Ken Germain, Dayton Intellectual Property Law Association, 2020
  • "Domain Name and Internet Issues for Startups", Inventor’s Council of Cincinnati, 2017
  • "Domain Name Protection and Dispute Resolution," Cybersquatting Symposium, Northern Kentucky University Chase College of Law, 2016
  • "Legal Issues in Mobile and Gamification," Co-Presented with Thomas Humphrey, American Advertising Federation Cincinnati Digital Non-Conference, 2011

Honors And Awards

  • The Best Lawyers in America®, Copyright Law, 2024-2026
  • The Best Lawyers in America®, Trademark Law, 2024-2026
  • The Best Lawyers in America®, Advertising Law, 2026
  • Ohio Super Lawyers®, 2024-2025
  • Ohio Super Lawyers®, Ohio Rising Stars, 2020-2021
  • Cincinnati Academy of Leadership for Lawyers, Class XXI
  • Recipient, The Order of the Barristers award for excellence in appellate advocacy

Professional Associations And Memberships

  • Cincinnati Bar Association
  • Ohio State Bar Association
  • International Trademark Association
  • CincyIP
  • The Literary Club of Cincinnati, Secretary/Board of Management, 2025 to Present
  • Game Manufacturer’s Association, Member/Presenter, 2024 to Present
  • American Advertising Federation – Cincinnati, Board of Directors and Chair of Government Relations Committee, 2015 - 2017
Sean K. Owens

Phone:

Fax:

513-241-6234