Intellectual Property & Trade Secrets

When you think about intellectual property, you may think of trademarks and copyrights. Many people don’t know about trade dress. This is a type of intellectual property that identifies your company based on specific features of packaging or the product.  Trade dress...

Every business has certain things they want to protect. These are often critical components of their company, such as trademarks, inventions and innovations. In other words: Their intellectual property is one of the most valuable things they own. Understanding a few...

Patents are some of the most authoritative government protections for intellectual property. When you come up with a new concept, new chemical formula or new production process, you can patent your research or your new products.  When you have a patent, you can...

As a business owner, you know that you may need to apply for patents and trademarks when you come up with an intellectual property of your own. This is how you keep other businesses from using it, and it's important to protect your IP because it is so valuable to your...

Although you can use a trademark without registering it with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), you will lose significant advantages. Examples include:         Registration may deter others from using identical or similar marks         Registration proves...

You have an excellent idea, and you want to start a business based around it. However, you're nervous to even talk to anyone about it because you don't want someone to steal your idea. What you're wondering is if you could patent that idea first. This would allow you...

It is likely that you have spent many years trying to establish your company. There may be unique technology and methods at the heart of your business activities. However, such components can only remain unique if they are protected. Unfortunately, it is not uncommon...

Intellectual property law has always been important, as business owners have always been worried about someone stealing their ideas, trademarks, trade secrets, or patented designs. They didn't want someone else to be able to profit off of these things, either by...

The baseball team formerly known as the Cleveland Indians has been under pressure for a very long time to ditch their problematic moniker and trademarks -- and they finally did. However, the next few moves they made could be a master class in what not to do when...

Often, company owners know that their intellectual property is important, but they can’t quantify it. They can’t put a number on it or assign it a specific value the same way that they can with other assets. This can lead to extreme undervaluing of intellectual...