Software Patents: 3 Crucial Steps for Inventors to Succeed
The notion of a software patent is slightly controversial because the coding language used to develop the invention is not actually getting patented, but never the less, software patents do exist and if you are a software coder/inventor, you may wish to get one. Like all matters relating to protecting your intellectual property, each case is unique and requires specifc guidance from an experienced patent attorney. Keeping this thought in toe, here are a few basics to keep in mind when considering a software patent.
Patent Searches
Before any patent can be registered, a thorough patent search must be done....
Patent Protection: 3 Powerful Reasons to Secure Your Idea
Patents: Lasting Patent Protection
If you have a workable, provable, exclusive idea—an invention, in other words-- the only real way to patent protect it is to patent your product and process. This holds true in spite of various ads you might see in the back of magazines or on the internet that claim otherwise. Most of these ads are from invention promotion companies and while their motives may be pure, the advice is faulty. Traditionally, two other methods to supposedly protect your invention are offered. Here's why they won't work for long: Confidentiality agreements. It's true that you can have everyone who is...
Copyright Protection: 3 Powerful Strategies to Combat Theft
Top Copyright Protection Techniques
Explore 3 crucial copyright protection measures against web content theft, including DMCA badges, clear notices, and detailed record-keeping. There is nothing new about copyright violations; people have been stealing content from others for centuries, regardless of the laws in place. What creates more immediate problems in our modern era, however, is the ease with which content can be lifted online – a point, a click, copy and paste and you're done. Still, it is important not to lose sight of the flip side of this technological coin. If technology makes it easier to immediately lift content, it also...
Patent Search Tips: 5 Essential Steps for Success
Patent Search Tips - The First Step
It is no great secret that many inventors become overwhelmed and discouraged before they even begin the process of applying for a patent and inevitably do not pursue IP protection for their idea. This in large part due to a general sense of confusion and helplessness which can often be remedied during a consultation with a competent patent attorney. As we shall soon discover, the first step all inventors must take before applying for a patent is conducting a patent search. Here are a few answers to some of the more common questions...
Patent Application Tips: Essential Steps for Success
Patents - They Really Are This Complex
Could you, if asked (and you will be asked if you file a patent application,) describe the “alternative embodiments” of your invention? Not the actual invention itself, mind; most inventors can describe that down to the very least detail, exactly how they see it functioning both in manufacture and in the marketplace. In other words, they are well able to describe what is called the “preferred embodiment” of the invention. This, of course, is a necessary step and one that your patent attorney will make sure you take. But, of course, one of...
Trademark Basics: 3 Powerful Benefits for Growth
Trademark Basics: They Count
Most people know the importance of trademarks to huge, mega-corporations who have many products and enormous profits to protect. Fewer are convinced that it's worth it for their small or emerging business to file trademark applications. In many cases, however, a protected trademark is as important, if not more so, to smaller businesses who are just penetrating their markets - Particularly when it's time to grow a valuable trademark or brand. Here are a few of the benefits and basics of getting a trademark to protect your name, logo or business slogan.File Federal, Instead of Local
Your...
The Right Trademark: 3 Key Steps to Secure Your Brand
Trademark Classifications
There are generally five categories of trademark classifications: generic, descriptive, suggestive, arbitrary and fanciful. Most trademarks fall within these categories once you break them down to their basics. When you consider the names and brands that surround almost every business—whether officially or traditionally—it's easy to recognize the importance of choosing the right trademark for your business or product.Wait: Just What is a Trademark?
People sometimes become confused as to what exactly makes a trademark. Similarly, there is quite a bit of confusion surrounding the difference between a trademark and a service mark. While there are a multitude of nuanced points...Should You Be Your Own Trademark Attorney?
For small or new businesses, the logical answer to this question sometimes seems to be, yes. After all, you can save quite a bit of money by filing your trademark applications yourselves, right? Well, actually... yes. And no. While individuals and small companies can, in fact, save many upfront on trademark or patent attorney fees by doing the work themselves, or by using non-attorney companies that promise a one-size-fits-all solution, quite often this can result in huge fees down the road. Not only does the Trademark Office frequently issue rejections for improperly filed applications, those attempting to pursue a trademark prosecution...
