Quick Answers to Intellectual Property Questions

Patents

• What is a Patent?
• What is a Patent Attorney?
• How can I become a Patent Attorney?
• What is a Patent Agent?
• How can I become a Patent Agent?
• What are the differences between a Patent Agent and a Patent Attorney?
• What are Trade Secrets?
• Which should be used, a Patent or Trade Secret?
• Is there such a thing as a Provisional Patent?
• What is the difference between a Provisional Patent Application and a Non-provisional Patent Application (Regular Patent)?
• When should I file a Provisional Patent Application instead of a Non-Provisional Patent Application?
• What protection do I get by filing a Patent Application?
• How much does it cost to get a Patent?
• What is a design patent?
• How long does a design patent last?
• How long does a utility patent last?
• What is a business method patent?
• Can I renew my patent?
• Can I file for a Patent myself?
• What is a patent search?
• What are the requirements of a patent application?
• What is a non-final office action?
• How long do I have to respond to a non-final office action?
• What is a final office action?
• Can a response be made to a final office action?
• How long do I have to respond to a final office action?
• What is an Advisory Action?
• Are drawings required for all patents?
• Can a non-U.S. citizen obtain a U.S. patent?
• What can I patent? What can’t I patent?
• What are the damages for patent infringement?
• How does a patent application become abandoned?
• Why may it be necessary to prove the conception date of my invention?
• How does the patent classification system work?
• Can I talk to an examiner about my patent application?
• What is a terminal disclaimer?
• What is a re-examination of a patent?
• What is the “Composition of Matter” category for patentable inventions?
• What is the “Process” category for patentable inventions?
• What is the “Machine” category for patentable inventions?
• What is the “Article of Manufacture” category for patentable inventions?

Foreign Patents

• What is the PCT?
• What is the Patent Cooperation Treaty?
• What is a foreign patent?

Trademarks

• What is a Trademark?
• What is a Service Mark?
• What is Trade Dress?
• What protection do I get by filing for a federal Trademark registration?
• Can I file for a Trademark myself?
• How long does a Trademark last?
• Does trademark protection extend outside the United States?
• For registration purposes, are certain trademarks considered the same if they sound similar but look entirely different?
• How does the Madrid Protocol relate to United States trademark law?
• What do the symbols “TM”, “SM”, and “®” stand for?
• What distinguishes one category of mark from another one?
• What are specimens, and are they required for registering a trademark?
• What are the benefits of federal trademark registration?
• How are trademarks affected by the “generic name” characteristic?
• What is concurrent use registration of a trademark?
• What are the damages for trademark infringement?
• How does a trademark application become abandoned?
• What is a Famous Trademark?
• What is the Doctrine of Foreign Equivalents?

Copyrights

• What is Copyright?
• How long does Copyright protection last?
• Does Copyright protection extend overseas?
• What are some limits to Copyright protection?
• Are downloaded works over peer-to-peer networks violating Copyright law?
• What are the damages for copyright infringement?
• What is the Digital Millennium Copyright Act?
• What is an orphan work?

Litigation

• What are Requests for Admissions?
• What are Interrogatories?
• What is a Notice to Produce?
• What are Depositions?

For more information on intellectual property, please visit Patent, Trademark, Copyright Information.

The content of this article is not intended to be, and does not constitute, legal advice and does not create attorney-client privilege. Consult the attorney of your choice before embarking on any legal matter or any document preparation/filing.

Dr. Thomas R. (Terry) Williamson III is a Patent Attorney practicing in Atlanta, Georgia.

C2008, Williamson Intellectual Property Law, LLC; all rights reserved, world-wide.