Innovator in Light Sport Amphibious Aircraft Relies on Martensen IP to Protects its Large IP Portfolio

California-based Icon Aircraft is pushing the limits of innovation with its new light sport aircraft. In particular, the company developed an amphibious model that can take off and land on a conventional runway or on water and be stored in your garage. Designed to be compact, with folding wings for easy storage, and incredibly safe to fly, the aircraft clearly was highly marketable and poised for commercial success when the founder came to Martensen IP for guidance.

Recalling his first meeting with the founder, Kirk Hawkins, “It was immediately apparent that his ideas were innovative and valuable. It was also clear that competitors could reverse engineer the products, their design, and how they are built.” So, we promptly filed for a number of patents to protect Icon’s IP both in the U.S. and abroad.

A Long-Term Relationship with a Trusted Advisor

Over the course of more than a decade, we filed more than 200 patents for Icon as the company continued to evolve and enhance its products. These patents not only protect the technology behind the aircraft, but also their unique physical appearance, which is an important aspect of their appeal to pilots and passengers alike.

Today, Icon is arguably the worldwide leader in amphibious light sport aircraft. And while the founder’s ingenuity is at the heart of that success, securing the essential technology and design elements of its products has kept competitors at bay and enabled the company to flourish. The organization has grown considerably and now works with some of the country’s largest law firms on the variety of legal issues that large companies have to address. But, Icon still relies on Martensen IP to protect and manage its large and growing intellectual property portfolio.