Patent Services in Saginaw, TX
How do I protect an invention in Saginaw, TX?
Inventions can be protected by patents. Patents are a form of intellectual property right that give a patent owner the exclusive right to make, use, or sell an invention for a specific period of time. A patent owner has the right to sue someone for patent infringement who is making, using, or selling their invention without their. In order to obtain a patent in the United States, you must file a patent application with the U.S. Patent and Trademark office (USPTO), disclosing enough information about your invention to satisfy the USPTO that your invention has some useful purpose, is novel, and is not obvious to ordinarily-skilled people in your field. U.S. patents can last for up to 20 years, after which your intellectual property rights expire, but unlike with trade secrets, Saginaw, TX patent owners do not have to maintain the confidentiality of their invention.
Patent Services in Saginaw, TX
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Five different types of Utility Patents in Saginaw, TX
A utility patent is a legal protection granted to investors for new, useful, and non-obvious inventions. There are five major types. A “process patent” is a protection granted to anyone who invents or discovers a new and useful process, which can include chemical, industrial, or technological processes. A “machine patent” protects mechanical devices or combinations of mechanical elements that work together to produce a certain effect or result. A “manufacture patent” protects the method with which a new or original product is manufactured. A “composition of matter patent” covers new and useful compositions of matter, whether they be chemical compounds or mechanical mixtures, and include gases, fluids, powders, or solids. Finally, an “improvement patent” protects the distinction between a new product and previously existing products of a similar type.
What if someone posted my photo and removed my Saginaw copyright information?
“Copyright Management Information” (or CMI) includes the identifying information about a work’s copyright owner, among other things. Digital Millennium Copyright Act created a separate prohibition from knowingly removing or altering Copyright Management Information. If someone has knowingly removed your watermark, the title of the artwork, the year it was created, your name, or certain other identifying information from your photo before posting it to social media, you may have a cause of action against that person. The key is that the other person must have known, or had reason to know, that their actions would induce, enable, facilitate, or conceal an infringement. The attorneys at Axenfeld Law can assess your options and determine the best course of conduct to enforce your rights.
How do I protect a name?
You can protect your business or product name from being used or diluted by a competitor with a trademark. A trademark is an intellectual property right that gives you the right to exclude others from using your name in a confusingly similar manner. There are several ways to acquire a trademark, including through state agencies or simply through use in commerce, but the way to obtain the greatest amount of protection is to register your name with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). A Saginaw, TX trademark attorney can help you file a federal trademark application, and if granted, you will have the right to enforce your trademark throughout the entire United States. You will also have a legal presumption that you own the trademark. Anyone who sues to challenge your trademark will bear the burden of proving otherwise.
The benefits of filing a provisional patent application in Saginaw
A provisional patent application is a document issued by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office ("USPTO") that protects an invention for a year before a formal patent application is filed. Filing a provisional patent application has several important benefits to inventors and entrepreneurs. Firstly, provisional patent applications have less formal requirements and are more cost effective than nonprovisional applications. Secondly, they allow inventors to begin commercially promoting their invention immediately without fear of having it stolen. Thirdly, a provisional patent application serves as the effective date of filing for the invention, allowing inventors twelve additional months on the term of their patent grant and the right to use the term "patent pending."