Intellectual Property
Protect your work from copycats. Learn the difference between trademarks, copyrights, and patents so you can safeguard your intellectual property.
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Finding the Right Fit: Comparing Intellectual Property Protections
Safeguard your ideas, inventions, and processes so others don't benefit from your genius unless you want them to.
· 4 min read
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Understanding Orphan Works and Copyrights
Whenever a person creates a work that is copyrightable, such as a book, poem, or song, they immediately own the copyright to the work. Use of that work without the owner's permission is called infringement. If it's not possible to determine the copyright holder for a work, that work is considered an orphan work, although it is still protected by copyright law.
· 3 min read
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The Pros and Cons of Using a Patent Pool
Do patent pools facilitate innovation or stifle it? It depends on a variety of factors. Learn more about the potential pros and cons of patent pools here.
· 3 min read
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What to Do if You Get a Copyright Infringement Notice
As copyright infringement becomes more common, owners are becoming more aggressive in protecting their rights by issuing copyright infringement notices.
· 3 min read
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What Happens When You Get a Patent Revocation?
Can the USPTO revoke a patent after granting it? The short answer is "yes." Learn more about patent re-examinations, the grounds for requesting one, and possible outcomes.
· 3 min read
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Tips for Protecting Your Trade Secrets
Adequately protecting trade secrets can mean the difference between the success and failure of your business.
· 3 min read
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The Problem of Genericide in Trademarks
Sometimes a company's branding can become so pervasive in our culture it goes beyond the traditional confines of its trademark. What seems like a good problem to have can actually create a new public relations headache known as genericide.
· 3 min read
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How to Buy Expired Patents
A patent gives an inventor a limited time of exclusive ownership. If the patent expires, it's possible for someone else to buy it. Find out how to buy an expired patent.
· 3 min read
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What a Business Method Patent Is
A business method patent allows an inventor to protect their new idea for a way of doing business that involves a specific use of technology. Find out what the requirements are and how to apply for a business method patent.
· 3 min read
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Trademarks, Publicity, and the Presidency
Can U.S. presidents protect their names and faces with trademarks? And, on the flip side, is it OK to use the president's name or image on a product? Find out how trademarks and other intellectual property rights apply to the commander in chief.
· 3 min read
