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Introduction

Fundamentals of Intellectual Property

Patent Types and Terminology

Examples of Patent Questions

How to Conduct Patent Searches
Searching Part I
Searching Part II

Best practices for assisting patrons

Resources for Inventors

Patent Searching Tutorial

Patent Searching Exercises

Fundamentals of Intellectual Property

Intellectual Property is intangible and represents assets of the mind. There are four separate and distinct forms of Intellectual Property:

• Protects original works of expression, such as fine arts, writing, music, photography and cinema by preventing people from copying or commercially exploiting these works without the permission of the copyright holder.
• Copyrights laws do not protect names, titles or short phrases (Trademarks)
• Copyrights obtained through the United States Copyright Office ( http://www.loc.gov/copyright/)

• Trademarks protect distinctive words, phrases, logos, symbols, slogans and any other devices used to identify and distinguish products or services in the marketplace
• Trademarks obtained through the United States Patent and Trademark office (http://www.uspto.gov)

• Any formula, pattern, physical device, idea, process,compilation of information or other information that both provides the owner of the information with a competitive advantage in the marketplace, and is treated in a way that can reasonably be expected to prevent the public or competitors from learning about it, absent improper acquisition or theft.
• Commonly used with food and beverage products.
• Do-it-yourself- Trade secret protection lasts for as long as the secret is kept confidential.
  

• Patents protect an invention. Inventions include any new and useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement on any of the above.
• Patents must be new, useful and nonobvious.
• Patents can be obtained from the United States Patent and Trademark office (http://www.uspto.gov)