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Patenting Your Invention: What Are The Benefits?

The benefits of a patent are that it provides credibility, legitimacy and exclusivity. A patent means that no one else has the invention. Russ Weinzimmer, a patent attorney whose practice works with individuals and small companies to help them protect their inventions and intellectual property, says that it gives you a marketing advantage and makes a product more desirable because patents imply that there’s something valuable there because it’s been protected.

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Is there a danger that my trademark can become generic?

Yes, there is a danger that a trademark can become generic. A trademark becomes generic when it loses its uniqueness. Generally, this means it is used so much in the everyday that it loses the special qualities that made if worthy of being a trademark in the first place.

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What are the benefits of marking?

Marking provides certain procedural advantages to the owner when attempting to enforce a trademark. You cannot obtain lost profits and damages if you don’t use the notice. However, marking need not be made each and every time the trademark is used. It need only be used in a fair representative number of cases.

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Websites: Writing the Disclaimers and Copyright Notices

A disclaimer on a website is essential as it serves to protect and limit your liability by outlining expectations and obligations a person will agree to before using the site. In addition to the disclaimer, you must also have a copyright notice that complies with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA).

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Should I copyright my own work, or use an intellectual property attorney to help me?

Remember that although works of authorship generally obtain copyright protection when they are fixed, in practice, you must still register your copyright with the U. S. Copyright Office to enforce your rights or to use the copyright to secure an obligation. There are some occasions when consulting an attorney is a good idea. For instance, if your work was created by more than one author. If you think your work may have commercial value, it would make sense to copyright the work to protect that value.

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How do I obtain and protect a copyright on my work?

Copyright protection arises upon creation of a work, without formal action on the author’s part. However, it is wise to always place a copyright notice-typically a ‘c’ inside a circle, with a year next to it and the name of the copyright holder on every publication of the work.

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Who can help me market my invention?

Before you begin marketing any invention, be aware that you are running the danger of disclosing it and having it stolen. Patent attorneys can suggest legitimate sources to assist you with promoting the invention.

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