For a comprehensive and comparative overview of the requirements and features of the various forms of IP under U.S. Law, see RatnerPrestia’s IP Overview.

 

 

Prosperity, if not survival, of your business may depend on how well the intellectual property of that business is protected and how that intellectual property relates to your business plan and your objectives.

 

WHEN to patent entails questions, often interrelated, of how well developed the invention is, how and when it may become publicly known, the possibility of parallel work by others and the impact a patent or patent application may have on investors, competitors, potential partners and customers.  Cost is always a factor to be balanced against other imperatives.

 

Getting a patent involves running the gauntlet of patent prosecution.  This often takes many years, many dollars and many hours of inventor and management and attorney time.

 

The proper use of trademarks, the possible loss of trademark rights through misuse and the crucial role of trademarks in advertising and business development cannot be overlooked if your business depends on customer identification of your product or service.

 

Copyrights and Designs lie at the intersection of many forms of IP.

 

The legal protection of trade secrets encourages innovation and preserves commercial morality. 

 

IP protection and management can be costly.  This often makes IP cost containment as important as the next set of experimental results.  Having an IP strategy in place may help contain costs while maximizing your IP assets.