Hundreds of thousands of people apply for patents, copyrights, and trademarks in the United States every year. For example, the United States Patent and Trademark office recently reported that 452,633 patent applications were filed in one year. You can easily become one of these people if you have created the greatest American invention, if you are the next Stephen King and have written a book to prove it, or if you have designed an eye-catching logo for your company. The Complete Guide to Patents, Copyrights, and Trademarks will provide you with all the information you need to know about acquiring, registering, maintaining, and protecting your intellectual property. A patent is a grant of property rights to the inventor and essentially excludes others from making, using, and selling your invention, whereas a trademark is a word, symbol, or device used to indicate the source of goods and to distinguish your goods from those of others. A copyright, on the other hand, protects original works and the form of the expression rather than the subject matter. This new, exhaustively researched book will help you decide which of the three you need to apply for, as well as which things can be patented, trademarked, and copyrighted and which cannot. In this book, you will learn how to file an application, how to register, how to avoid infringement, and how to avoid common problems. Additionally, you will become knowledgeable about where to fi≤ the fees involved; laws and regulations associated with the process; the differences between copyrights, trademarks, and patents; the differences between utility, design, and plant patents; who may apply; attorneys and agents; and the forms you need to fill out. Whether you are applying for a patent, copyright, or trademark, this book will provide you with all the necessary information necessary to do so. The Complete Guide to Patents, Copyrights, and Trademarks is the only book you need to read if you want to protect your intellectual property. Atlantic Publishing is a small, independent publishing company based in Ocala, Florida. Founded over twenty years ago in the company presidentâe(tm)s garage, Atlantic Publishing has grown to become a renowned resource for non-fiction books. Today, over 450 titles are in print covering subjects such as small business, healthy living, management, finance, careers, and real estate. Atlantic Publishing prides itself on producing award winning, high-quality manuals that give readers up-to-date, pertinent information, real-world examples, and case studies with expert advice. Every book has resources, contact information, and web sites of the products or companies discussed.

Useful tips and step-by-step guidance from filing to issue to license Acquire and protect your share of this major business asset Want to secure and exploit the intellectual property rights due you or your company? This easy-to-follow guide shows you how — helping you to evaluate your idea's commercial potential, conduct patent and trademark searches, document the invention process, license your IP rights, and comply with international laws. Plus, you get detailed examples of each patent application type! Discover how to: Avoid application blunders Register trademarks and copyrights Meet patent requirements Navigate complex legal issues Protect your rights abroad The entire body of U.S. patent laws Example office actions and amendments Sample forms Trademark registration certificates Application worksheets See the CD appendix for details and complete system requirements. Note: CD-ROM/DVD and other supplementary materials are not included as part of eBook file.

Intellectual property law is currently exploding, as demonstrated by the growth of technology transfer offices in universities. More and more scientists, companies, and institutions are rushing to secure intellectual property rights for their ideas and inventions. This process frustrates many people; patent laws are constantly changing, and most books about them are either overly technical or boring. Protecting Your Ideas: The Inventor's Guide to Patents is a succinct, straightforward guide to the system. This guide presents the steps involved in obtaining patent protection for inventions. It is easy to read and brimming with essential information and advice compounded from FAQs posed by the author's academic and industrial clientele. The text includes tips, warnings, and examples that guide the reader through the invention process so patent rights are not jeopardized. Checklists and other helpful information are provided to assist the inventor preparing to enter the patent process. The book includes valuable resource information and business guidance to protect the inventor from consumer fraud that is sometimes associated with the patent process. Protecting and Idea is a must read for every engineer, scientist, or amateur inventor. - Simple, easy-to-read format demystifies the patent process - Numerous example patents help to illustrate the issues involved - Provides an overview of the types of intellectual property protection - Incorporates up-to-date information about U.S. patent laws - Advises inventors about the do's and don'ts of patenting - Includes useful resources for helping inventors safeguard their ideas

The definitive guide to intellectual property for business managers How can a product of the mind—an innovation, a song, a logo, a business secret—become the subject of precise property rights? No idea is entirely original; every innovative business borrows, sometimes extensively, from its competitors and others. So how do we draw the line between fair and unfair use? Billions of dollars ride on that question, as do the fates of publishers, software producers, drug companies, advertising firms, and many others. It’s also a key question for individuals—for instance, if you quit your job after mastering the company’s secrets, what can you do with that information? With the growth of the internet and global markets, having a smart IP strategy is more essential than ever. Intellectual Property is the ideal book for non-lawyers who deal with patents, trade secrets, trademarks, and copyrights—all essential business issues that have changed rapidly in the last few years. Goldstein draws on dozens of fascinating case studies, from the Polaroid vs. Kodak battle to Kellogg’s surprising trademark suit against Exxon to whether a generic perfume is allowed to smell exactly like Chanel No. 5. Every business decision that involves IP is also a legal decision, and every legal decision is also a business decision. Lawyers and managers need to work together to navigate these murky waters, and this book shows how.

A broad introduction to the changing roles of intellectual property within society Intellectual property is one of the most confusing--and widely used--dimensions of the law. By granting exclusive rights to publish, manufacture, copy, or distribute information and technology, IP laws shape our cultures, our industries, and our politics in countless ways, with consequences for everyone, including artists, inventors, entrepreneurs, and citizens at large. In this engaging, accessible study, Aram Sinnreich uncovers what's behind current debates and what the future holds for copyrights, patents, and trademarks.

How has the legal system used its traditional body of copyright and patent law to protect rights in computer software? The last 15 years have changed the entire landscape with regard to the creation and protection of software as intellectual property. Written by a computer expert with extensive participation in some of the most important software trials of the period, this book invites you to think critically about significant software issues and learn about the legal pitfalls surrounding software development in the industry today. The book is organized around various legal issues raised by both plaintiffs and defendants in copyright litigation, and the problems of the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office in dealing with the rapid proliferation of applications for software-related patents. The author explains important terms and concepts in software litigation such as infringement, substantial similarity, reverse engineering, the merger defense, and look and feel. A succinct, readable survey for computer professionals, nonlegal academics, and lawyers who need a fast summary of the critical issues and cases in software and intellectual property matters.

As technological developments multiply around the globeâ€"even as the patenting of human genes comes under serious discussionâ€"nations, companies, and researchers find themselves in conflict over intellectual property rights (IPRs). Now, an international group of experts presents the first multidisciplinary look at IPRs in an age of explosive growth in science and technology. This thought-provoking volume offers an update on current international IPR negotiations and includes case studies on software, computer chips, optoelectronics, and biotechnologyâ€"areas characterized by high development cost and easy reproducibility. The volume covers these and other issues: Modern economic theory as a basis for approaching international IPRs. U.S. intellectual property practices versus those in Japan, India, the European Community, and the developing and newly industrializing countries. Trends in science and technology and how they affect IPRs. Pros and cons of a uniform international IPRs regime versus a system reflecting national differences.

"Offering practical guidance to non-IP specialists who encounter these issues in their legal practice, this book provides specific and useful information on areas where business interests intersect with intellectual property issues, including trademarks, copyrights, patents, trade secrets, domain names, technology, and more."--

This Guide, prepared by Rina Elster Pantalony, was recently updated to reflect the tremendous developments since it was first published in 2007, in particular Digital Rights Management, the role of social media as a business opportunity and traditional knowledge. The two-part Guide first describes IP issues relevant to museums then reviews existing business models that could provide museums with appropriate opportunities to create sustainable funding, and deliver on their stated objectives.