Intellectual Property


Recent Intellectual Property Articles

New Patent Law Ruling Could Cost You Big Bucks

The stakes have been raised on "false mark" lawsuits -- it's time to review your labels.  Read more

How to Negotiate a Contract With a Big Client

What you push for in your contract negotiation  Read more

How to Find a Good Patent Lawyer

Your great idea needs protection. Here's a guide to searching for a reputed and effective patent lawyer.  Read more

How to File a Trademark

Protecting your business logo from creative theft is a crucial part of growing your brand. Here's how to file a trademark with the United States Federal Gove...  Read more

iPad: A Funny Name, and a Trademark Dispute

Fujitsu claims a 2003 trademark application gives it dibs on the iPad name. Could the dispute prevent the tablet from shipping?  Read more

The Candyman's Saga to Hit the Big Screen

David Klein, the inventor of Jelly Belly jellybeans, talks about the new film Candyman , which documents his rise and fall.  Read more

How to Protect Your Trade Secrets

Advice for the small-business owner on protecting trademarks, writing nondisclosure agreements, and other tools for protecting intellectual property.  Read more

A Besieged Brewery Fights Back

Rock Art Brewery is embroiled in a trademark war with the beverage giant Hansen over the name of the brewery's Vermonster beer.  Read more

Protecting Yourself From Copycat Competitors

Using trade dress and trademarks to protect your intellectual property  Read more

How to File for a Patent

This step-by-step guide describes the legal process of filing for a patent.  Read more

Supreme Court Reexamines Patent Laws

A reversal of the earlier decision that business methods are not patentable could likely change the face of business.  Read more

How to Protect Your Invention

Advice and tips on how to protect a new invention from copycats and competitors  Read more

How to Guard Against Patent Infringement

Once you've received patent protection, enforcing it is mostly your job. Here's how.  Read more

Is Your Patent Safe?

Supreme Court asked to hear a case that would determine whether business methods in any industry are patentable.  Read more

Talk about Some Bad Hires

In September 2005, we wrote about Jonathan Hoffman, who had sued an ex-employee of his company, School Zone Publishing, for copyright infringement.  Read more

Trademark, Copyright & Patent Protection 

Your most valuable asset is your intellectual property. Inc. Expert Barbara Weltman offers advice on what needs protection and how to attain it.   Watch video

Can You Spot the Real Utube?

Millions of Web surfers couldn't, so now there's a lawsuit.  Read more

Find It. Use It.

It's a good bet your company possesses intellectual property it isn't exploiting. Here's how to identify those assets and turn them into new business.  Read more

Case Study: How to Handle a Rogue Licensee

George Schenk's largest licensee had his own ideas about running his restaurant. Was it time to cut him loose?  Read more

Ask Inc.

Deciding whether to hire a PR agency; making prototypes.  Read more

Relax. Let Your Guard Down

Why patents, trademarks, and other intellectual property protections are bad--that's right, bad --for business.  Read more

How to Stop Intellectual Property Theft in China

America's most innovative industries are being robbed every day on the floors of Chinese factories. Here's how to make it stop.  Read more

Great Moments In Patent History

With the blockbuster BlackBerry settlement and a case involving eBay before the Supreme Court, the dowdy world of patent law is suddenly hot.  Read more

Supreme Court Case Could Make it Harder to File for Patents in the Future

A seemingly provincial dispute between a clinical testing firm and a group of university researchers is said to have implications on the definition of intell...  Read more

Five Universities You Can Do Business With

Smart schools resist the temptation to treat every new idea like it's the next Google.  Read more

How to Secure a Patent

Tips on how to protect your company's intellectual property.  Read more

Small Businesses Largest Holders of Patents

Oct. 7, 2005 --The small businesses that employ almost half of the country's workers may also be responsible for the nation's technical cr...  Read more

Owners Urged To Seek Patents

September 6, 2005 --Already swamped by applications, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has launched an outreach program to encourage mo...  Read more

Patent Law Reform Proposed

May 10, 2005 --A bill that proposes amendments to the U.S. Patents Act is likely to be introduced in the House of Representatives before J...  Read more

Bad Patent Reform

Pending patent reform could leave entrepreneurs unprotected.  Read more

Whose Brand Is It, Anyway?

Terri Williamson did a textbook job of launching Glow. Jennifer Lopez and her team did a textbook job of launching Glow by J.Lo. And then their worlds collided.  Read more

A Brief History of Innovation

Many of the revolutionary products of the last century sprang from small companies. If you don't already appreciate the impact that entrepreneurial businesse...  Read more

Patent No. 5,524,641: An Inventor's Story

That's Arthur Battaglia's patent number. He applied for it eight years ago, got it six years ago, and has been pushing his idea ever since. So far, no takers.  Read more

Patents: An Idea Whose Time Has Gone?

The increasing popularity of patents is, ironically, diminishing their value to small businesses.  Read more

The End of Stealth Mode for Patents

It will become harder for companies with new inventions to remain in "stealth mode," thanks to a major change in patent law that was scheduled to take eff...  Read more