Intellectual Property
What is intellectual property and how do you protect it?
Copyright the U.S. Copyright office provides “Copyright is a form of protection grounded in the U.S. Constitution and granted by law for original works of authorship fixed in a tangible medium of expression. Copyright covers both published and unpublished works. “
Patents get basics, application and info direct from U.S. Patent & Trademark office
Trademarks utilize U.S. Patent & Trademark office forms.
Regional office based in Houston:
USPTO – Texas Regional Office
207 S. Houston Street, Suite 159, Dallas, Texas 75202
TexasRegionalOffice@USPTO.GOV
Phone: (469) 295-9000
http://www.uspto.gov/texas
Key USPTO resources for inventors, startups and entrepreneurs
Basic information about patents and the patenting process
| IP Awareness Assessment Tool | www.uspto.gov/inventors/assessment |
| Patent process flow chart, includes hyperlinks to USPTO guides | www.uspto.gov/patents/process/index.jsp |
| Patents home page | www.uspto.gov/patents |
| Inventors Assistance Program resources | www.uspto.gov/inventors |
| Inventors Assistance (Call) Center | www.uspto.gov/inventors/iac |
| Pro Bono Program — general description | www.uspto.gov/inventors/proseprobono |
| Pro Bono Federal Circuit Bar Association National Clearing House (not a USPTO website) | www.fedcirbar.org/Pro-Bono-Scholarships/ PTO-Pro-Bono/Overview-FAQ |
Details of the patenting process
| Patent Search tutorial on searching as well as access to the USPTO patents database | www.uspto.gov/patents/process/search/index.jsp |
| EFS-Web — filing patent applications via the web | www.uspto.gov/patents/ebc/about.jsp |
| Track One prioritized examination information and FAQ | www.uspto.gov/patents/init_events/Track_One.jsp |
| American Invents Act (AIA) implementation webpage | www.uspto.gov/aia_implementation |
| AIA first inventor to file animated informational videos | www.uspto.gov/aia_implementation/informational_videos.jsp |
| Micro-entity status information (under the Fees FAQ) | www.uspto.gov/aia_implementation/faqs_fees.jsp#heading-4 |
Foreign filing resources
| Patent Cooperation Treaty helpdesk | www.uspto.gov/learning-and-resources/support-centers/patent- cooperation-treaty-pct-helpdesk |
| Madrid Protocol information | www.uspto.gov/trademark/laws-regulations/madrid-protocol |
| IP Attaches | www.uspto.gov/ip-policy/ip-attache-program/regions |
USPTO intellectual property initiatives (educational tools)
| Demystifying the patent system | www.uspto.gov/initiatives/expanding-innovation/ demystifying-patent-system |
| Inventor and entrepreneur resources | www.uspto.gov/learning-and-resources/ inventors-entrepreneurs-resources |
| Free legal services for inventors | www.uspto.gov/learning-and-resources/newsletter/inventors-eye/free- legal-services-inventors |
| Pro Se assistance program | www.uspto.gov/ProSePatents |
| The provisional patent application: Is it for me? | www.uspto.gov/learning-and-resources/newsletter/inventors-eye/ provisional-patent-application-it-me |
Key resources on trademarks
| Trademarks home page | www.uspto.gov/trademarks |
| Trademark basics for new filers | www.uspto.gov/trademarks/basics |
| Trademark Information Network (TMIN) videos | www.uspto.gov/trademarks/process/TMIN.jsp |
News, updates, and upcoming events
| USPTO News/Updates subscription center | www.uspto.gov/subscribe |
| Inventors Eye e-magazine | www.uspto.gov/inventors/independent |
| General events calendar and archive | www.uspto.gov/about-us/events |