Intellectual Property Law
What is Intellectual Property Law?
Intellectual property law deals with the rules for securing and enforcing legal rights to inventions, designs, and artistic works. Just as the law protects ownership of personal property and real estate, so too does it protect the exclusive control of intangible assets. The purpose of these laws is to give an incentive for people to develop creative works that benefit society, by ensuring they can profit from their works without fear of misappropriation by others.
Article I, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution gives Congress express authority to grant authors and inventors exclusive rights to their creations. Section 8 also gives Congress the power to regulate interstate and foreign commerce, providing further support for its right to legislate in this area. Intellectual property laws passed by Congress are administered by two government agencies, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, and the U.S. Copyright Office.
Patents give inventors the right to use their product in the marketplace, or to profit by transferring that right to someone else. Depending on the type of invention, patent rights are valid for up to 20 years. Qualifying items include new machines, technological improvements, and manufactured goods, including the “look” of a product. Patent protection will be denied if an invention is found to be obvious in design, not useful, or morally offensive.
Trademarks protect symbols, names, and slogans used to identify goods and services. The purpose is to avoid confusion, deter misleading advertising, and help consumers distinguish one brand from another. Since the goal is to distinguish, generic or purely descriptive marks may not qualify. Rights can potentially last forever, and they are obtained by simply using a mark. While not required, owners can register their marks for additional protection.
Copyrights apply to writings, music, motion pictures, architecture, and other original intellectual and artistic expressions. Protection is not available for theories or ideas, or anything that has not been captured in a fixed medium. The act of creation itself produces a copyright and unpublished works are still protected. Use of a copyright symbol and date is common, but not mandatory. Most copyrights are valid for the creator’s lifetime, plus 70 years.
Protecting Against Infringement
Infringement refers to the unauthorized use of intellectual property. To protect against infringement, owners should take steps to put the world on notice that their rights exist. Providing notice helps deter infringement by making the owner’s rights more visible to those who might inadvertently violate them. It also triggers additional legal benefits, and puts the owner in a better position to prosecute an infringement in court, if that becomes necessary.
Inventors can give notice of their rights by marking their product with the patent number assigned to it by the Patent and Trademark Office. The label “patent pending” can also be used to discourage others from copying the design before the patent is awarded. Notice of trademarks and copyrights is given by placing the appropriate symbol (™, ©, etc.) on the material, and then registering the mark or copyright, so it can be added to the government’s database.
If infringement does occur, rights to intellectual property can be enforced in federal court. Before filing a lawsuit, however, owners will want to consult with an attorney and carefully consider whether litigation is in their best interests. Infringement cases are expensive to prosecute, and there is always a risk that the owner’s rights, once held up to the scrutiny of a court proceeding, will be revealed as invalid or less extensive than the owner believed.
In the event an owner of intellectual property does sue, and the lawsuit is successful, a number of remedies will be available. The court can order an injunction, meaning the infringer must stop what it is doing. Substantial money damages may also be available. In addition, once the owner’s rights are established in court, the infringer may agree to a license agreement. This allows use of the intellectual property to continue, with payments going to the owner.
Rights to intellectual property can be incredibly lucrative, making individuals huge sums of money. Infringement claims have also bankrupted large, profitable companies without warning. With so much at stake, anyone dealing with issues in this area of the law should seek the advice of an attorney. Firms specializing in intellectual property law are available to help owners who are looking to establish, profit from, or defend their rights.
Get Help from an IP Attorney
If you have created or obtained the rights to something unique, an intellectual property attorney can help you protect your interests. Conversely, if someone has accused you of infringement, you want legal counsel to help you fight back. Contact an attorney today to learn more.
Copyright HG.org
Know your Rights!
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- What is a Patent Troll?
Many have read about legal battles fought between large technology companies and entities referred to as “patent trolls” and wondered, “what is a patent troll?” Obviously, it has something to do with patent laws and infringing on someone's patent rights, but what does it really mean? Who does it apply to? Is anyone who asserts a patent infringement a “troll,” or just certain people and entities? Where did the term come from?
- What is Plagiarism?
Plagiarism is usually defined as the "wrongful appropriation" of another's words, thoughts, ideas, or expressions and the misrepresentation that they are the representer's original work. Of course, with a definition that broad and vague, most any sort of researched work might be considered plagiarized. However, plagiarism is considered academic dishonesty, but is not a crime, per se.
Articles About Intellectual Property
- 3D Printing Technology: Impact on Intellectual Property ProtectionAs each decade passes, new technologies are brought to the marketplace and change our way of life. Over the past decade or so, we have seen the widespread adoption of the iPhone® and other smartphones, social networking via Facebook® and Twitter®, and the iPad® and other tablets. New legal issues regarding ownership of consumer content and privacy of consumers are being tackled every day.
- Professional Sports Leagues and TrademarksTrademarks are intellectual property that protect the symbol, name, phrase or graphical depiction of a company. Professional sports teams have these brands created, and then they become trademarked for protection and profit with physical products and merchandise and online intangible items.
- Should You Register Your Trademarks? Benefits Registered Trademark Owners Receive When Protecting Their BrandsA trademark is a word, symbol, phrase—or almost anything—that represents your company to potential customers. It may be the first thing that a potential customer or client sees when they interact with your business and will likely be the go-to thing that a potential customer or client thinks about when they think of your business. This means that trademark protection is essential for the long-term health of a business.
- Brilliant Ideas Need Protection: Trademarks, Copyrights and PatentsBrilliant ideas take many forms. It is important to know how to protect them. Learn more.
- New Ruling on Where Patent Infringement Cases Can Be LitigatedIntellectual property infringement is a serious problem throughout the world, but patents have been an important topic with the United States Supreme Court since the early 2000s. New rulings have been issued about how and where litigation is permitted based on the owner of the patent and how it affects others.
- Patent Infringement Cases against the United States GovernmentPatent infringement is possible with almost any person or entity including the United States government, agencies and agents. When these issues arise, the owner of the patent needs to know what to do, how to proceed, who to contact and why time is of the essence.
- Prevent Employees from Revealing Trade SecretsWhen trade secrets are a part of what provides a competitive edge to a company, it is essential they remain a secret from the public and other competing companies. In order to keep employees from revealing these ingredients, processes or methods, many techniques could be used to include nondisclosure agreements.
- International Trademarks: A Foreign Company’s Rights in the USAA company located outside of the United States – as an example, a company located in one of the European countries – may spend thousands of dollars developing its brand and goodwill in its home country. Eventually, such company may want to sell its goods and services outside of its home country including in the United States. The Madrid Protocol provides an easy means for the company to make its initial trademark filing in the United States.
- Is an Anticompetitive Contract Clause an Ancillary Restraint that Will Survive Antitrust Scrutiny?Setting prices or allocating markets with your competitor is a terrible idea. Doing so is likely to lead to civil litigation and perhaps even criminal penalties.
- Supreme Court Decision Reduces Post-Sale Intellectual Property RightsIntellectual property rights are important to the owner, but this could change due to a sale of the IP based on changes implemented by the Supreme Court. Once a copyright, trademark or similar intellectual property has been sold, it no longer has the same rights it did prior to the sale, and this is important to understand for the owners.
- All Intellectual Property Law Articles
Articles written by attorneys and experts worldwide discussing legal aspects related to Intellectual Property including: copyright, domain names, licensing law, patents, trade secrets and trademark.
Intellectual Property Law - US
- ABA - Intellectual Property Law Section
- American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA)
The American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA) is a 16,000 member, national bar association constituted primarily of intellectual property lawyers in private & corporate practice, in government service, and in the academic community.
- Intellectual Property Law Server
- Office of the Administrator for External Affairs (EA) - IP Enforcement and Policy
The USPTO leads efforts to develop and strengthen both domestic and international property protection and advises the Secretary of Commerce, the President of the United States, and the Administration on patent, trademark, copyright, and copyright protection.
- Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR)
USTR's Office of Intellectual Property and Innovation (IPN) uses a wide range of bilateral and multilateral trade tools to promote strong intellectual property laws and effective enforcement worldwide, reflecting the importance of intellectual property and innovation to the future growth of the U.S. economy.
- United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)
- USDOJ - Intellectual Property Task Force
