The following is what I like to call “Intellectual Property Law 101” and is intended to be an extremely basic primer for those completely new to Intellectual Property Law. Here is what I hope to answer with this article: You have a piece of intellectual property (IP) – Great, how do you protect it? I hope this points you in the right direction and at least gets you to begin asking the right questions.
Intellectual Property in the United States falls into 4 major categories:
- Patents,
- Trademarks,
- Copyrights, and
- Trade Secrets.
Patents
When people think about Intellectual Property patents are usually the first thing that comes to mind. We have all seen the words “Patent Pending” stamped on the bottom of products, and it seems like every time your turn on the TV a major patent lawsuit is being decided. Patents are the quintessential form of protection for that better mouse trap or new widget that you know will revolutionize the world. That said, patents can also cover much more.
Generally speaking patents fall into 3 major classes. Continue reading