A copyright owner has the exclusive rights to use and distribute an original work. These rights are granted for a limited period of time by a designating country. There are specific limitations to the this exclusive use. For example, “fair use” is one defense to unauthorized use of an original work. Copyright laws are limited…
A trademark identifies the owner of a particular product or service. It can be a name, word, phrase, logo, symbol, design, image or a combination of these elements. Allgaier Patent Solutions is your resource for patent, trademark and copyright protection. We provide free initial phone consultations. Office visits are by appointment. Allgaier Patent Solutions, 342B…
Intellectual property refers to the expressions of creativity such as naming of goods and services in interstate commerce, inventive concepts, art and designs. Individual legal rights to protection of this creativity can be found in patent, trademark and copyright law. An intellectual property law attorney can help explain the differences and similarities among these three…
This week in patent history Ross Clay was granted a Design patent (381781) for a swimming pool leaf and debris removal net in 1997. Abstract: An improved device for collecting and removing debris from a swimming pool, pond or the like comprising a mesh material formed into a net for collecting and temporarily storing the debris. The…
Naming Generally It is common for most people to confuse patent, trademark and copyright protection when it comes to naming. A person might attempt to patent a name of a business, music group, product or other business purposes. However, patents do not afford protection for names. Patents generally protect inventions and ideas. Names would be…
Having the Idea is the First Step Most inventors do not believe that their ideas are patentable. In fact, they actually have an idea that could be protected. The discussion below can further assist an inventor in deciding whether to develop their ideas. Develop a Strategy for your Idea Write the idea down and include…
African American inventor Garret Augustus Morgan invented an improved traffic light in 1923 (US1475024). He was born in Kentucky on March 4, 1877. He only received an elementary school education. He was a sewing machine mechanic. In his patent application for an improved traffic signal, he highlighted three important benefits of his invention. 1.”This invention relates…
A patent is an intellectual property right granted by the United States government to an inventor “to exclude others from making, using, offering for sale, or selling the invention throughout the United States or importing the invention into the United States” for a limited time in exchange for public disclosure of the invention when the…
Those fancy 8-prong and 30-pronged chargers that you see at local stores might be in violation of patent and trademarks owned by Apple Inc. A handful of distributors received a letter from apple. The letter begins with the following message: “It has recently come to Apple’s attention that [your company] is offering for sale and…
Most tablet computing devices allow users to execute various functions by touching the surface of the touchscreen with a single finger and then dragging that finger across the touchscreen surface. Users can also instruct the computing device to zoom in or out by touching the screen and then widening or lessening the space between the…
