Lesson 8: Intellectual Property

What You’ll Learn: Ideas are currency in the world of business. From original works to cutting-edge inventions, you want to protect your work from theft, reverse engineering and dilution. Learn the ins and outs of copyrights, trademarks, patents and trade secrets and how to protect your intellectual property.

Intellectual Property (continued)

Assignments

  1. Take TESS for a test drive. Login to the federal trademark search database and perform some searches for names you’d like to use. Try a simple search and a Boolean search as they will generate different results. Search results note whether they are “Live” or “Dead.”
  2. Learn the FAQs. The Secretary of State has an informative set of frequently asked questions to help familiarize yourself with trademark use and registration at the state level.
  3. Find an intellectual property attorney. Do a Google search to find an intellectual property attorney in your area. If you have a product or service you want to patent or a trademark to register, many will provide you with an initial consultation.