Patent, Copyright & Trademark

Learn how patents, copyrights, and trademarks serve different purposes.

Food recipes require creativity. But you might be surprised at how little protection they receive under American intellectual property law.

At some point in your entertainment career, you may find yourself sitting in an attorney’s waiting room preparing to hire someone who charges more per hour than you earn earn in one night.

Money damages in copyright infringement actions are commonly awarded under three legal theories: actual damages, profits, and statutory damages.

Fair use is a defense to a claim of copyright infringement based on the idea that the public is entitled to freely use portions of copyrighted materials for certain purposes, like commentary and criticism. When is fair use applied?

How long does copyright last? That depends on when the work was created and who created it. Here are some guidelines.

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office divides trademarks into 45 different "classes." You must choose the proper class when applying for trademark registration.

Key Takeaways You can use another owner's trademark without permission for comparative ads, news, parodies, and criticism under the fair use doctrine. "Descriptive" and "nominative" fair use let you reference trademarks to describe products or identify the trademark owner's goods or services. If your

Are you concerned that a competitor is unfairly using the same or a similar trademark as your business?

Trade secrets are an important form of intellectual property that can protect your business's confidential information.

Nondisclosure agreements are one of the most effective methods for companies to protect valuable confidential information that they want to keep under wraps.

Food recipes require creativity. But you might be surprised at how little protection they receive under American intellectual property law.

When an employee creates an original invention during the course of his or her employment, who owns the patent?

Three free sample patent assignment agreements.

To obtain a patent, you must ensure that your invention qualifies and then be able to describe it in your application.