When you face intellectual property issues, an attorney who has regularly advised and represented clients on intellectual property matters can help you to achieve a cost-effective and timely resolution. To learn more about our legal services, contact our firm to schedule a consultation with an experienced intellectual property attorney.
Intellectual Property Resource
If you would like to protect your intellectual property, including ideas, designs, processes and inventions, contact Atlanta intellectual property lawyer J.T. Hollin. Located in northern Georgia, Hollin Law Offices' skilled attorney can help you legally safeguard your creative work and defend against infringement. To learn more about intellectual property, please review the general information below.
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Intellectual Property Resource Links
U.S. Copyright Office
The U.S. Copyright Office site provides information on U.S. copyright law; how to register and license a copyright; and other pertinent information for owners of copyrights.
U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)
This federal agency website provides practical information on applying for patents, registering trademarks and more. It explains federal laws, federal regulations and international laws and lists the procedures, fees and forms to apply for patent and trademark protection.
Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
As the government body responsible for monitoring deceptive marketing and unfair competition in the US, the FTC maintains information for both consumers and businesses on numerous commercial topics of interest.
World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)
WIPO is a United Nations organization that promotes and protects intellectual property globally. This site lists its various activities and efforts; a searchable digital library of its international intellectual property data collection; information on its arbitration and mediation center; and information on how to file an application for a trademark registration with its International Bureau.
U.S. Department of Commerce
As the government body overseeing the Patent and Trademark Office, the Department of Commerce offers general information on patents, trademarks and the Trademark Electronic Application System (TEAS).
Intellectual Property - An Overview
Intellectual property law regulates the reproduction of creative and original works. When a work qualifies for protection, its author or creator has the right to exclude others from copying, distributing or otherwise using the work for economic benefit. Generally, intellectual property can be transferred, regulated and protected like other forms of property. The four primary areas of intellectual property are:
- Copyright: protects an original work of authorship fixed in a tangible medium of expression, such as a book, computer program, graphic artwork or motion picture
- Patent: protects a novel, useful and non-obvious invention, process or design
- Trade secret: protects confidential business information, including a computer programming code or other business formula, that gives its owner an advantage over other businesses
- Trademark: protects a word, symbol, name or other designation of a product or service
If you have questions about copyrights, patents, trade secrets or trademarks, contact an experienced intellectual property attorney from Hollin Law Offices in Fayetteville, GA.
The Purpose of Intellectual Property Law
Intellectual property law is specifically designed to reward authors, inventors and creators for their ingenuity and creativity. In addition, these rights are intended to support a free-flowing exchange of information and ideas, encouraging constant improvement in industry and the arts.
Regulation by Federal, State and International Law
Depending on the subject matter of the work, intellectual property rights are protected under a combination of state, federal and even international law. The U.S. Constitution recognizes intellectual property in the Patent and Copyright Clause (Article I, Section 8, Clause 8), giving Congress the power to provide authors and inventors a limited monopoly on their work for the purpose of advancing science and the arts. Likewise, trade secrets and trademark law find their origins in the common law.
As the global marketplace emerged in the 20th century, the need for international protection of intellectual property came to the forefront of global trade discussions. In response to this need, the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) was created within the United Nations to monitor, regulate and control matters of intellectual property worldwide.
Intellectual Property and Unfair Competition
Intellectual property law also works to eliminate unfair competition in commercial markets. Trademark infringement, trade secret misappropriation and deceptive marketing practices stifle the ability to compete in the marketplace. While trademark law specifically has roots in unfair competition law, the philosophy behind unfair competition law informs all areas of intellectual property. Unfair competition law proscribes numerous acts, including: the deceptive marketing of goods through either misrepresentation or "passing off" one's goods as those of another; false advertising that confuses consumers and causes a business to lose sales; criticism of another's goods through false or deceptive statements, causing intentional economic harm; wrongfully using a known trademark to market a product; and misappropriating a competitor's property rights for one's own benefit.
Speak to a Lawyer
The laws of intellectual property and unfair competition together seek to eliminate dishonest commercial practices and ensure the expansion of markets and the ideas that drive them. If you have questions regarding intellectual property law, contact an attorney at Hollin Law Offices in Fayetteville, GA, who has the experience to assist you.
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