Intellectual Property

If another company or an individual has violated your intellectual property (IP) rights, you may not need to go directly to a legal action. In fact, you may be able to avoid going to court at all. A good initial step is sending what’s called a “cease and desist”...

When patents make the news, it is often an issue involving patent infringement. The government grants so many patents each year that individual patents almost never make the news, even when a business sends out press releases. Despite the efforts inventors and...

If your business gets the rights to use someone else’s intellectual property, it’s important to note that these rights may be very specific. You don’t want to make any assumptions about what you’re allowed to do or how you’re allowed to use the material. Doing so...

A patent is a crucial form of protection for any business that has invested substantially in the creation of a new software program, the development of a new plant through selective breeding or any other product or process that gives that business a competitive...

Prosecuting a patent is the most effective way for a business to protect the investment it has made in research or product development. A company's patents will help ensure that it maintains a competitive edge either by producing something that no one else can or by...

The patent process can be confusing because of its complexities, but if you have a new invention or idea you want to protect, it’s important to look into getting a patent. Who can get a patent? You can get a patent if your invention falls into a patentable invention...

If you discover that another company has the same name as your business, you may be worried that it's an intellectual property violation. Maybe your company existed first and the other company is infringing on your own trademarks. Maybe you believe that the other...

Research and development, as well as patent prosecution, can be expensive processes. It could take years of investment before a company has new advances worth patenting and marketing. The process of getting the patent can take some time and will require additional...

As a business owner, one thing you know is that you have to protect proprietary information. There are pieces of software that only your company uses, and there are special things your company does that help set it apart from the competition. If your intellectual...