COPYRIGHT BASICS What is Fair use of a Copyright? Fair use is a legal doctrine that promotes freedom of expression by permitting the unlicensed use of copyright-protected works in certain circumstances. Criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research—are examples of activities that may qualify as fair use. Protect your ideas! Purpose and character of…
Trademark examples Almost anything can be a trademark if it indicates the source of your goods and services. It could be a word, slogan, design, or combination of these. It could even be a sound, a scent, or a color. Standard character trademarks Most trademarks are register as standard character trademarks. These trademarks consist of words, letters,…
Trademark your business or product name – Intellectual property includes artistic and musical works, designs, images, literature and software. These help develop brand recognition and customer trust in a specific industry. Avoid copying other brands – The United States Patent and Trademark office refers to copying as “likelihood of confusion.” This exists if your trademark…
UTILITY PATENTS There are two types of utility patent applications: provisional and nonprovisional. A provisional application is a quick and inexpensive way for inventors to establish a U.S. filing date for their invention, which can be claimed in a later-filed nonprovisional application. A provisional application is automatically abandoned 12 months after its filing date and…
You company logo helps to identify your goods and service. This is the most important method of distinguishing your brand from other companies. Please give us a call to help you protect your logo by registering it a trademark with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. A standard character mark protects letters or numbers that are…
Is a trademark application right for you? Trademarks, patents, copyrights, domain names, and business name registrations all differ, so it is important to learn whether a trademark is appropriate for you. A trademark typically protects brand names and logos used on goods and services. A patent protects an invention. A copyright protects an original artistic…
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…
Several options exist to challenge another party’s trademark registration or application, depending on the particular circumstances and grounds for challenging: You may challenge a trademark registration issued by the USPTO by filing a petition to cancel the registration with the Trademark Trial & Appeal Board (TTAB). You may challenge an application for trademark registration at…
During examination of a pending patent application or after the patent is granted, the owner of the patent may change: 1) the original owner may transfer ownership to another entity or party, through an “assignment;” or 2) the original owner may retain ownership but change its name. The original owner should record the assignment or…
What is Interstate Commerce? Under Federal Law, interstate commerce is any commercial transactions or traffic that cross state boundaries or that involve more than one state. “Interstate commerce” as it relates to the sale of goods includes transporting the goods across state lines and the mark must be displayed on the goods or the packaging…
