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Intellectual Property


TrendWatch: U.S. Patent Reform

How could upcoming patent law changes impact your small business?

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Zynga Sued for Patent Infringement

The world's largest social gaming company is under fire for allegedly infringing on patents found in nearly every one of its games.

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New Patent Laws to Favor First-to-File

Congress is on the verge of passing the first patent reforms in 60 years. This may not be good news for small business.

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12 Strange and Amazing Patents

How far will the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office go? We've rounded up some of the silliest, most inventive, and ludicrous patent applications in U.S. history.

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4 Tips for Protecting Your Trademark

A trademark can be just as valuable as a large client, so it's of utmost importance that businesses find competent means for protection. Here are four tips for keeping your trademark safe from harm.

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Recent Articles about Intellectual Property

Detroit's New Innovation Engine

Patent (office) pending. Plus, the return of start-up valuation backlash just as a social-media company plans a $500 million IPO.  Read more

What's Behind Google's Tactics?

A new lawsuit could shed some light. Plus, bringing off-shore insurance tactics to the U.S., and the rest of the day's news for entrepreneurs.  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

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

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

What Happened to Your Patent Application?

It's probably just sitting at the U.S. Patent Office, admits the office's director. Meanwhile, there are bills for patent reform on Capitol Hill -- and plans...  Read more

Supreme Court Ruling Could Boost Software Sector

The high court says the test for business method patents is too rigid. The software industry, among others, is poised to benefit.  Read more

Entrepreneur Wins $625 Million Payout From Apple

Yale University professor David Gelernter said Apple's software infringed on three of his patents. A federal jury agreed.  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

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 Guard Against Patent Infringement

Once you've received patent protection, enforcing it is mostly your job. Here's how.  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 Bring Your Invention to Market

Here's a step-by-step process for turning a good idea for a new invention into a financial success.  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

The Secret to Patents

When starting a company, many entrepreneurs believe that their ideas are of massive value and they become paranoid that someone is going to steal them. S...  Read more

YouTube and The Sound of Silence

YouTube is cracking down on videos with copyrighted material, specifically music. Word is spreading fast around the YouTube community that many videos hav...  Read more

Study: Patents Failing Small Business

Under the current system, many patents fail to meet set standards, a small-business group says.  Read more

U.S. Leading Global Patents

Patent applications hit a record high last year, an international IP group reports.  Read more

Free and Open Source Software Licensing

What are the liability issues involved with using free and open source software (FOSS)? Here's a guide to copyrights, choosing a license, trademark registrat...  Read more

Safeguarding Intellectual Property

Trademarks, copyrights and patents aren't just for big corporations. Everything from your company's name to its management style is worth protecti...  Read more

How to License In Intellectual Property

When your company needs to use a process, concept, tool—or really anything that's protected by a patent, copyright, or trademark—here's how to license it...  Read more

U.S. Leads in International Patent Applications

March 12, 2007 -- The United States accounted for more than a third of total patent applications filed with the World International Paten...  Read more

Businesses Rally for Patent Law Reform

March 21, 2007 -- As many as 40 U.S. businesses have joined forces to rally for stronger patent laws that better protect American-made in...  Read more

Chamber Launches Global IP Center

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce this week launched its Global Intellectual Property Center, which will focus on raising awareness among consumers and policym...  Read more

Keeping It Confidential

Making the most of your intellectual property when seeking investors means making sure it's not compromised.  Read more

Patents as an Incentive

Securing a patent offers an incentive to both inventors and investors.  Read more

Be Careful with Provisional Patent Applications

There are reasons why you might want to file a provisional application, but saving money is not one of them.  Read more

Does Google Enable Trademark Infringement?

What small businesses need to know about the legal risks involved with advertising online with search engines.  Read more

Supreme Court Raises Bar for Patents

Patent trolls beware. Thanks to a ruling on Monday from the Supreme Court, patents ...  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

Tips for Inventors

Nov. 15, 2006 -- Senior officials of the United States Patent and Trademark Office will be available online tomorrow at 2 p.m. (EST) to a...  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

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

How to Secure a Patent

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

The Problems with Using Pirated Software

Using pirated software in your business could subject you to lawsuits, attorneys’ fees and leave your operating systems without patches or technical  Read more

Patents, Patents Everywhere...

The Supreme Court heard arguments yesterday in a case that is ex...  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

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

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

Ask Inc.

Offshored patent violations; making on-demand work for you.  Read more