Licensing Your Copyrighted Works

If you’ve taken the necessary steps to register your copyrighted works, you inevitably will have an opportunity to royalties off of them. To take advantage of the opportunity, you will need to be familiar with copyright license agreements.

If you’ve taken the necessary steps to register your copyrighted works, you inevitably will have an opportunity to royalties off of them. To take advantage of the opportunity, you will need to be familiar with copyright license agreements.

Copyright License Agreement

A copyright license agreement sets for the terms under which a third party can use your content. In legal language, you will the “licensor” with the other party being the “licensee.” The purpose of the agreement is to set forth the terms under which you, the licensor, will grant the third party, licensee, the right to use, publish or reuse your copyrighted work in exchange for a royalty. Let’s take a closer look at key components of the licensing agreement.

Specific Rights Granted

This may sound obvious, but the agreement needs to detail exactly what copyrighted material can be used. If you have copyrighted articles, are you granting a right to use all of the articles or only certain ones? It is highly recommended that the agreement contain a detailed description of the exact materials being covered.

Once you agree upon the exact materials, you need to determine any restrictions on how the material can be used. Can the material be used on the Internet or will it be restricted to a certain niche’ such as manuals or collections of materials?

An extremely important issue is whether the agreement grants exclusive or non-exclusive rights. In English, this simply defines whether the licensor can grant similar rights to other parties. The grant of exclusive licenses should require a much larger royalty rate since you are essentially betting the third party will be successful.

Licensing Royalties

In exchange for your copyrighted work, the third party is going to make royalty payments to you. The particular amount of the royalty is dependent upon the nature of your work. Issues to consider include:

1) Will you be paid a flat amount or percentage of sales?

2) If a percentage, will it be figured from gross revenues or something less?

3) How often will you be paid?

4) What rights will you have to audit the books of the third party to determine you are getting the full royalty?

In some situations, you may decide to forgo a royalty payment. This usually occurs when the third party will use the materials in manner that produces massive publicity for you. For example, many professionals seek to right columns for publications as a marketing tool. Often, they will not charge the publication for the material because the resulting publicity carries enough of a benefit.

In Closing

 If you are considering licensing copyrighted content, keep the above in mind. Since such agreements are difficult to break, hiring an attorney is worth the expense.

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Vietnam Can Issue Permanent Residence Card to Foreign Investors in Phu Quoc

The Ministry of Planning and Investment proposed a series of preferential mechanisms for Phu Quoc special economic zone.

Vietnam Can Issue Permanent Residence Card to Foreign Investors inPhu Quoc

The Ministry of Planning and Investment has just submitted to the Government a draft Law on Special Administrative Units. In this draft, the Ministry proposes a series of mechanisms to attract investment capital and foreign experts to live and work in Phu Quoc special economic zone.

Specifically, according to the draft law, Phu Quoc is prioritized investment to become a center for trade, high-end services and international procurement. This will be the only special zone to be prioritized for the development of fisheries, aquaculture and processing and fishery logistics.

According to the Ministry of Planning and Investment, the potential advantages of Phu Quoc can completely develop into a commercial center, eventhough Phu Quoc is located far from the land and there are only two main lines of transportation that are airway and sea. Phu Quoc also has favorable conditions for hydro-meteorology, natural environment, mountains, forests, marine and ecosystems; moderate weather, favorable for year-round tourism development. Especially, Phu Quoc has a large fishing ground and potential for aquaculture.

In addition, Phu Quoc has fertile farmland, large forest land, occupies 63.2% of the total natural land area, facilitates the development of agricultural economy and sustainable eco-tourism development.

Like other two special economic zones, which are Van Don (Quang Ninh), Van Phong (Khanh Hoa), the Ministry of Planning and Investment proposed a series of incentives for Phu Quoc such as income tax exemption for 5 years, but not exceed 2030 for individuals who have taxable income arising in the special economic zone. In subsequent years, the personal income tax payable will be reduced by 50%.

For managers, scientists and highly qualified experts with income subject to personal income tax in the 3 special economic zones mentioned above, they are also entitled to tax exemption until the end of 2030 and 50% reduction of tax amount in the remaining years.

In addition to the application of general incentives for special economic zones, Phu Quoc has also been proposed to enjoy a separate mechanism, such as raising the level of allowances from 30% to 50% of the basic salary for officials and employees working here.

In particular, in order to encourage investment, the Government of special economic zone will issue permanent residence cards to individual foreign investors with investment projects of 5 million USD or above, with the residence time of 5 years or more in Phu Quoc and not breaking the law.

Regarding infrastructure, according to the Ministry of Planning and Investment, infrastructure of Phu Quoc has been invested quite synchronously to meet the needs of large-scale tourism development. Many high-class and large-scale resorts have come into operation. The Politburo has agreed to open casino project in Phu Quoc for the Vietnamese.

For Van Don special economic zone, according to the Ministry of Planning and Investment, priority will be given to develop island eco-tourism, innovative industries and high-tech agriculture.

Van Phong, in particular with its location, will be promoted to develop deep-water ports, logistics services, medical services, high-quality resort…

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Toyota patent shows device that can make car pillars transparent

Long gone are the days of narrow roof pillars that not only looked good from the outside but provided optimal visibility from inside the cabin. Safety standards, while necessary, have enlarged car pillars to sizes that sometimes make it pretty difficult to check surroundings.

Toyota may have something to counter the annoyance of massive pillars, per its latest U.S. patent. The Japanese automaker has detailed a device of sorts that makes a vehicle's A-pillars completely transparent. No, it's not wizardry, some James Bond gadget, or even video cameras. It actually involves mirrors.

By carefully placing mirrors, Toyota's patented cloaking device makes it possible to bend light around an object—in this case, a vehicle pillar—and see the other side of it. This sort of technology already exists today, but with the help of cameras and other expensive components. Therefore, Toyota felt a more practical and less expensive option was deemed necessary.

It's not clear if and when Toyota will implement the cloaking device solution, but the patent was filed by the company's American arm. With that said, it's likely the solution would be implemented on the automaker's U.S. cars and trucks. We may not ever see a day when thin, creatively-crafted vehicle pillars return, but we suppose at least seeing around the massive structures is better than nothing.

 

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Source: Motorauthority

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How to Handle Trademark Infringement in Vietnam?

Counterfeit destroys businesses, business environments, markets as well as the image of the country. Handling trademark infringement in Vietnam has been practically challenging.

Vietnam government has been trying to curb the counterfeits however the results are limited.  The counterfeit business generates huge profits due to the gap price anywhere in the world.   Almost goods which is either popular or luxury, high or low-value of either domestic or foreign brands are being counterfeited, imitated in Vietnam.  Falsification of household goods, food, cosmetics, shoes and items of higher value such as bags, watches, glasses, etc may be found all over Vietnam. For effective anti-counterfeit, we need a close cooperation among the authority agencies in inspection, control of production, import and circulation in the market.  The Southern Department of Goods Quality Control in Vietnam in one of its regular inspections when cooperating with competent agencies in Ho Chi Minh City found after checking 79 stores with 416 items including: oil, helmets, toys, electronic devices that 33.89% of goods of unsatisfactorily labeled, 14.5% unsatisfactory quality. Where the consumers buy counterfeit goods, they could and should report to State authorities, Anti-Counterfeit and Brand Protection Association as an effort to contribute to curbing counterfeit in Vietnam.  The international brands being infringed could request assistance from local law firms in Vietnam.

ANT Lawyers’ Intellectual Property lawyers in Vietnam have assisted a number of clients being foreign brands in its effort to protect their intellectual property and industrial property rights in Vietnam under Intellectual Property Law through advisory, and implementation service.

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Source: ANTLawyers.vn

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What is Intellectual Property?

IntellectualProperty is the product of your thinking that can be used for commercial value. In other words, you think of a song and write down the words – you have the legal right to prevent others from copying or making a song based on your lyrics. This right you have can make you money if someone is willing to pay you for your song. Maybe your boss asked you to write a computer program. Who owns the work? You may have designed a new mouse trap and have the design on computer. Or you have created a distinctive logo for your company. But Intellectual Property goes deeper than songs or even copyrights. Let’s examine the four main areas of Intellectual Property law: Trade Secrets, Copyrights, Trademarks and Patents.

Trade secrets give the owner a competitive edge. If some information has value to competitors and they don’t know about it – then it’s a trade secret. If the information was not kept reasonably safe (secret) then it’s not a trade secret. Trade secrets may be sold with the business or stolen from bad employees. Maybe a former employee didn’t sign a non-disclosure statement before going to work at the competition. Some also reverse engineer software to gain the source code. This highly protected source code for computers is their trade secret, giving them an advantage over the competition. The trick is you have to keep your trade secrets as such, secrets.

Copyrights protect all kinds of writing by singers, writers, programmers, artists, etc… These are the best known of all intellectual property. Registering with the US Copyright office can enhance the automatic protection. You must have your copyright material on paper, tape, or computer. Copyright protection applies to the “literal expression.” It doesn’t protect the “underlying” theme of the writing. It must have some creativity. You can’t copyright a simple list. You don’t actually have to have a copyright notice since March 1st, 1989. The recommended notice is “copyright” year author’s name. For example, this article will have a copyright. Copyright 2005 Stuart Simpson. But it is not necessary.

Trademarks must be aunique name, design, symbol, logo, color, container, etc…that businesses use to distinguish their goods from others in the same market. You should have a strong name for a mark, as common words receive less protection. Like Stuart’s Cold Ice Cream Company. My name and the descriptive term (cold) are weak marks. But a distinctive name like Netflix, is a strong mark. Netflix is technically a “service” mark. It falls into the same category as trademarks. Your trademark must be submitted to the US Patent and Trademark Office (PTO). But first, the mark must be put into use “in commerce that Congress may regulate.” This means you have to sell across state lines or have a business that caters to interstate or international travelers. After you do this, you can file another form to show the mark is actually being used. The PTO checks for similar marks. You can’t use the circled R just yet. You can only use this if your logo or mark has been registered.

Patent law givesinventor of new and special invention the right to use this invention for a fixed period of time. The US Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) must find that the invention qualifies for patent protection. Your invention has to be new and novel, not obvious. What do you do with a patent? Normally, the inventors get a license agreement with a company to produce the product for a period of time. In exchange, the company pays the inventor royalties for each item sold.

Intellectual property goes further in depth on each of these items. I wanted to give you a brief description to help broaden your knowledge base when writing, creating or inventing. If your work falls into one of the above categories, do more research. I will be writing on each specific area in the future.

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Author:Stuart Simpson

Source:.Articlecity.com 

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What is a trademark anyways?

We're not necessarily talking about Elvis' trademark sideburns or Catherine Hepburn's trademark voice, but that's not too far from the path.

They're everywhere you look, and yet do you really know what they are? Trademarks are a strange animal and it's necessary that you get to know them if you have business endeavors of any kind. Whether you're making your own trademark or using other trademarks, there's a whole lot to learn.

We're not necessarily talking about Elvis' trademark sideburns or Catherine Hepburn's trademark voice, but that's not too far from the path.

They're everywhere you look, and yet do you really know what they are? Trademarks are a strange animal and it's necessary that you get to know them if you have business endeavors of any kind. Whether you're making your own trademark or using other trademarks, there's a whole lot to learn.

The definition of trademark is a pretty simple one. It's only later that the topic gets complicated. Basically, a trademark is just a sign of some kind that distinguishes a company from all the rest. Trademarks sit under the umbrella of “intellectual property.” A trademark can come in many different forms. Maybe it's am image or a a turn of phrase. Paris Hilton was recently poked fun at for trademarking the phrase “that's hot.” Indeed, there's a lot of controversy over what can and should be trademarked.

Are you thinking about buying some intellectual property? If you do, you will be able to take people to court if they use your trademark without permission. It's important that your company has a signature and unless it's protected, it's useless and can be used by just about anyone. A trademark might seem a simple concept enough, but if you overlook the issue, it could cost you a lot down the road.

When talking about trademarks, you're bound to get into some murky water. For instance, some marks, logos, phrases, images, etc, become trademarks over time, if by chance they simply grow to become synonymous with a particular product or service. When we think of trademarks in this way, it's pretty apparent that a trademark is not a narrow concept at all. Anything that conspicuously distinguishes something from something else, in a sense, can technically be a trademark.

What about those little circles with the “TM” and “R” in them? What do they mean? The “TM” refers to trademark and the “R” refers to a registered trademark. While they serve as gentle reminders that the trademark is protected by law, they aren't necessary. There are both unregistered and registered trademarks out there, the latter obviously carrying more weight in a court of law. Most of the trademarks you see on TV and in magazines are registered.

Just as with physical property, intellectual property – when handled in court – is dealt with based on its jurisdiction.

There are five basic kinds of trademarks: distinctive, arbitrary, suggestive, descriptive, and generic. On the other hand, there are some symbols that can never be used in trademarks, like national flags. It's also important to note that national and international trademark law vary, so especially if you are conducing business overseas, you should be aware of that.

A trademark can open your company up to all kinds of business and separate it from the pack, but if it's not formed carefully, it may misrepresent and misdirect your company. So choose your trademark  intelligently and make sure you understand the law backing it up so that you can put it to good work.

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How to Select a Patent Attorney

Could you use a little help protecting your invention? If so, an attorney skilled in patent law is your best bet.

As you can imagine, conveying your invention to someone who knows nothing about it will be difficult.  Therefore, it is best if you are in direct contact with your patent attorney. You can meet in person and show the patent attorney any prototypes or drawings you may have to help illustrate your invention.  As you can probably guess, the process will go more smoothly if you work with a patent attorney near you.  Although it can be done, a long distance relationship will only strain the process.   

Probably the best way to select a patent attorney in your city is through word of mouth.  To help find referrals (and to associate with others who have interests similar to yours), you may want to join a local inventors club.  You can also search through the USPTO’s list of registered patent attorneys or even just use their database to check your potential patent attorney’s credentials.

When you are seeking out a suitable patent attorney, you need to ask about their experience and background. Ask them what degrees they hold, the number of years they’ve spent writing and prosecuting patents, and the number of patents granted.  Get references from previous clients and call them to ask about their experience with the patent attorney.

When selecting a patent attorney, it’s also important to find someone who specializes in the field your invention is related to.  Patent attorneys are not equal in all areas.  For starters, what is their degree(s) in?  This is very important.  Some patent attorneys will have a degree in engineering.  Other patent attorneys will be skilled in the field of biology, others physics and yet others, computer science.  You don’t want to take your newly invented cell line (yes you can patent such things) to a patent attorney with a background in electrical engineering.  You would want a patent attorney with a background in biology to help you with this type of invention. 

If you have a basic invention, going with a patent attorney with a general mechanical engineering background will probably save you some money.  Specialized professionals usually charge more.

You want their background and your invention type to match as closely as possible.  Writing patent applications is a bit of an art.  Obviously, a patent attorney will come in handy to help you through the legalese, but there is also a great deal of knowledge and specific technical detail that must go along with it.  This is why patent attorneys must have technical backgrounds.

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Author:Lisa Parmley

Source: Articlecitydate

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Procedures to Apply for Temporary Residence Card in Vietnam

Temporary Residence Card in Vietnam

For foreigners wishing to reside in Vietnam, they must belong to the subjects to be granted temporary residence card.  For most of the case, the temporary residence card holder are investors whom invest to establish company in Vietnam, or employee being employed and sponsored by an organization in Vietnam.

The following shall details the procedures to be implemented for applying for temporary residence card in Vietnam.

I. Subjects to be Granted Temporary Residence Card

• Issued to members of diplomatic missions, consular offices, representative offices of international organizations affiliated to the UN, representative offices of intergovernmental organizations and their spouses, children under 18 years of age, and housemaids during their term of office. (NG3)
• Issued to people who come to work with units affiliated to Vietnam’s Communist Party; the National Assembly, the government, Central Committee of Vietnamese Fatherland Front, the People’s Supreme Court, the People’s Supreme Procuracy, State Audit Agency, Ministries, ministerial agencies, Governmental agencies, the People’s Councils, the People’s Committees of provinces. (LV1)
• Issued to people who come to work with socio-political organizations, social organizations, Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry. (LV2)
• Issued to foreign investors in Vietnam and foreign lawyers practicing in Vietnam. (DT)
• Issued to Managers of representative offices or projects of international organizations and foreign non-governmental organizations in Vietnam. (NN1)
• Issued to heads of representative offices, branches of foreign traders, representative offices of other foreign economic, cultural, professional organizations in Vietnam. (NN2)
• Issued to people who come to study or serve internship. (DH)
• Issued to journalists who have permanent residences in Vietnam. (PV1)
• Issued to people who come to work. (LD)
• Issued to foreigners that are parents, spouse, and children under 18 years of age of the foreigners issued with LV1, LV2, DT, NN1, NN2, UNIVERSITY, PV1, LD visas, or foreigners that are parents, spouse, and children of Vietnamese citizens. (TT)

II. Conditions for Implementation

• Time to stay in Vietnam more than 01 year;
• Valid passport more than 01 year;
• In case of having a work permit, the work permit of the foreigner must be valid for 01 year from the date of the application for a temporary residence card. For investors, there must be written documents proving that foreigners contribute capital to, or invest in, enterprises in Vietnam (business registration certificates, investment licenses …).

III. Required Documents to Apply Temporary Residence Card

• A written request of agencies, organizations and individuals offering, guarantee and propose for temporary residence card (form NA7)
• 01 declaration of information of foreigners who apply for temporary residence, with photos and sealed by the agency or organization: A written request for temporary residence card (Form NA8); a declaration about Foreigners applying for temporary resident card (Form N7B)
• Two 3 x4 cm size photographs;
• Passport, valid visa, immigration cards (bring original for comparison);
• Notice of use of the seal of the enterprise
• 01 copies or photo (bring the original for comparison) proof of purpose to stay in Vietnam.

Depending on situations, the following documents would be required: investment licenses, permits the establishment of enterprises, work permit in Vietnam, certificate of board members and permits the establishment of representative offices, marriage/birth registration.

IV. Implementing Agencies to Apply Temporary Residence Card:

Immigration management Department, Police provinces and cities directly under the Central Government.

V. Duration to Obtain Temporary Residence Card in Vietnam: 05 to 07 days;

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Conditions of Foreigner on Adoption in Vietnam

Nowadays, foreigners from other countries wish to adopt children in Vietnam and bring them up to his/her country for custody.  Vietnam in the meantime encourages the adoption for the better conditions on life environment, education system which would bring to the children when living with the new family.  However, the adoption conditions are still regulated strictly and its acceptance procedures are considered and controlled stringently by competent authorities of the Government.

ANT Lawyers will provide to you the regulated conditions of the adoptive parents need to be met as below:

I. GENERAL CONDITIONS OF THE ADOPTIVE PARENT:

The adoptive parent has to meet fully conditions as below for adoption:

• Having full civil act capacity;
• Being 20 years or more older than the adopted person;
• Having health, financial and accommodation conditions for assuring the care for and nurture and education of the adopted child.
• Having good ethical qualities.

And not being one these following cases:

• Having some of the parental rights over a minor child restricted:
• Currently serving an administrative handling decision at an educational institution or medical treatment establishment;
• Currently serving an imprisonment penalty:
• Having a criminal record of commission of any of the crimes: intentionally infringing upon another’s life, health, dignity and honor; maltreating or persecuting one’s grandparents, parents, spouse, children, grandchildren or caretaker; enticing or compelling a minor to violate the law or harboring a minor violator; trafficking in. fraudulently swapping or appropriating children, which has not been remitted yet.

II. CONDITIONS OF THE FOREIGNER ADOPTIVE PARENTS:

After meeting fully conditions above, Vietnamese living abroad, foreigners permanently living abroad will be entitled to adopt identified Vietnamese children if they fall into the following cases:

• Being the step father or step mother of the to-be-adopted child;
• Being natural aunt or uncle of the to-be-adopted child;
• Having adopted a child who is a sibling of the to-be-adopted child;
• Adopting a child who is disabled or infected with HIV/AIDS or another dangerous disease, including: children with cleft lip and cleft palate, children who are blinded with one or two eyes; mutism, deaf; dumb; children with curved arms or legs, children with missing fingers, hands, foot (feet), toes, children infected with HIV; children with heart diseases; children with navel, groin, belly hernia; children without an anus or sexual organ; children with blood disease; children with diseases requiring life-long treatment; children with other disabilities or dangerous disease which restricting the chances of adoption;
• Being foreigners currently working or studying in Vietnam for at least 1 year.

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Patents: So You Have An Idea - So What?

Okay, you have come up with a fantastic idea that will solve all the woes of the universe - or at least make you $millions$ - what do you do? How do you start?

Well, the first thing to do is get all your ducks in a row. Start a hard-bound journal and put everything in writing. Draw pictures or diagrams of how your invention works. Date and sign each page, and get someone you trust to look at it and date and sign too.

Then, get ready to spend some money. Sorry, but it takes money to get things going. If your idea is worth anything - which you can find out through the process - you should file for a patent.

A patent gives you 20 years from the filing date the right to keep others from making or selling your invention without your permission. That gives you time to develop and sell your invention in the marketplace. Believe me or not, getting the patent may be the easiest part. About 99% is in the development and marketing of the idea.

To get a patent it is best to find a registered patent attorney or agent. I know, attorneys are sharks. But in this case, their knowledge will get through the government bureaucracy a lot faster and easier than you can by yourself.

To give you an idea of what you are going to face when getting into the patentprocess, here are some FAQ’s to help you understand better - maybe.

PATENT FAQ’s

Q: What do the terms “patent pending” and “patent applied for” mean?

A: They are used by the inventor - or his manufacturer or seller of his product - to inform the public that a patent application has been filed with the Patent and Trademark Office (“USPTO”). You can be fined if you use these terms falsely and deceive the public.

Q: Is there any danger that the USPTO will give others information contained in my patent application while it is pending?

A: No. All patent applications are kept in strictest secrecy until the patent is issued. After the patent is issued your file is made available in the USPTO Files Information Room for inspection by anyone and copies of the files may be purchased from the USPTO. (The Files Information Room is where searchers go to prepare their patent searches - which are needed to complete a patent application)

Q: May I write directly to the USPTO about my application after it is filed?

A: The USPTO will answer questions regarding the status of the application, whether it has been rejected, allowed, or pending action. BUT, if you have an attorney representing you, the Office will not correspond with both of you. The best practice is for all comments be forwarded through your attorney. Another thing - it can take some time before your application will be assigned to an examiner, and what is called an “office action” will happen. Patience is needed.

Q: Do you actually have to go to the USPTO to do business with them?

No. Most business with the USPTO is done in writing and through correspondence. Interviews with Examiners are sometimes necessary (and sometimes helpful) but a lot of them are done by phone by your attorney. The expense of a trip to D. C. is seldom necessary.

Q: If two or more persons work together to make an invention, who gets the patent?

A: If each person had a share in the ideas forming the invention, they are considered joint inventors and a patent will be issued jointly if they make it through the application process. BUT, if one person provided all the ideas for the invention - and the other person(s) has only followed instructions in making the invention, the person with the ideas would be considered the sole inventor - meaning the patent application and the patent itself shall be in his/her name alone.

Q: What if one person supplies all the ideas to make an invention - and another person either employs him and/or comes up with the money to build and test the invention - should the patent application be filed jointly?

A: NO. The application MUST be signed by the TRUE INVENTOR - and filed with the USPTO in the true inventor’s name. This is one time money doesn’t count. It is the person with the ideas - not the employer - not the money man - that gets the patent. If the greedy, blood-sucking, viperous, money-grubbing, creatively non-contributing money man or boss wants any part of the invention, he would have to get his hold through a contract or license on the invention - not the patent itself.

Q: Does the USPTO control the fees charged by patent attorneys and agents for their services?

A: No. This is strictly a matter between you and the attorney or agent. Fees vary - as do attorneys and agents. You should feel comfortable with your choice. It would be best to ask up front for estimates on charges for: (a) a patent search; (b) The preparation of a patent application; (c) drawings to accompany the application; and, (d) the prosecution of the application before the USPTO. (NOTE: an attorney can only give you estimates. The cost of a search, and the application with drawings is pretty well determinable up front. But the prosecution step depends on the Examiner and what he does and doesn’t like about your application. There may be amendments that have to be made (expect at least one), and negotiations to transpire, which all take time and effort from the attorney)

Q: Will the USPTO help me pick an attorney or agent to do my search or prepare my application?

A: No. The USPTO cannot make this choice for you. The Office does maintain a list of registered attorneys and agents. Also some bar associations have lawyer referral services that may help you. If you have a general attorney, although he can’t help you directly if he isn’t a registered attorney with the USPTO, he may help you with a referral.

Q: Will the USPTO advise me about whether or not a certain promotion firm is reliable and trustworthy?

A: No. The USPTO has no direct control over such organizations. While the USPTO does not investigate complaints about invention promoters or promotion firms - or get involved in any legal proceedings relating to such firms - there is a public forum to publish complaints against such firms. The protections you have from patent promotion firms is spelled out in laws passed in 1999. These promotion firms have specific duties of disclosure under this act. [See http://www.gadgets-gizmos-inventions.com for more info]

Q: Are there any organizations that can tell me how and where I may be able to get some assistance in developing and marketing my invention?

A: Yes. Organizations in your community - such as Chambers of Commerce and banks - may be able to help. Many communities have locally financed “business incubators” or industrial development organizations that can help you locate manufacturers and vulture (I mean Venture) capitalists that might be interested in helping you. Do your homework - check, check, check - and be careful.

Q: Are there any state government agencies that can help in developing and marketing my invention?

A: Yes. Nearly all states have state planning and development agencies or departments of commerce and industry that seek new products and articles to manufacture, or processes to assist existing manufacturers and communities in the state. A lot of these agencies are online - or at least have listings in telephone books. If all else fails - write your state governor’s office.

Q: Can the USPTO help me in developing and marketing my invention?

A: No. the USPTO cannot act or advise concerning any business transactions or arrangements that are involved in the development and marketing of an invention. They will publish the fact that your patent is available for licensing or sale in the Official Gazette - at your request and for a fee.

Q: How do I start?

A: First, of course, you have to have an idea. Then that idea has to be put down in a form so that it can be understood at least by a person that is experienced in the field of endeavor that concerns the invention. This usually is a written description and a drawing. Whatever it takes to explain the invention.

The next step is a patent search - to see if someone else has come up with a similar idea. A lot of times this is the case. And, a lot of times your idea may be enough of an improvement to be unique enough for a new patent. There are search firms available - and most patent attorneys have access to their own favorites. It is best to commit only to the patent search at first. Do not sign a contract for anything else just in case the search finds your invention with no way to find “novelty” and “non-obviousness.”

If the search report looks good (watch out for the hype artists), it is time for commitment. Choose your attorney and let it fly.

It is possible to file a patent application by yourself - but really - it is like you going into a restaurant in Paris, France that is, and trying to order from the menu. unless you know and speak the language, you won’t get what you want. In the case of a patent, the USPTO will throw you out - even if your invention is great - because the application does not speak their language.

Author:Gary Cogley

Source: Articlecity

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