Small Business Toolbox

A library of business management info


Copyright, Patent, Trademark
  • Copyrights Are Not for Copying, Trademarks Are Not for Trading
    11/05/2007
    Picture this: In a moment of creative genius, you invent the most descriptive, persuasive and proactive copy to promote your small business and, in your excitement, you describe it verbatim to a colleague in a cell phone conversation while drinking coffee in a public café. Unbeknownst to you, your biggest competitor and a well-known sneak, was enjoying some java in the booth next to yours. He listened intently as you described your idea in detail, and before the week was out, his latest campaign ad featured your stroke of creative genius.
  • Don't Be Sloppy With Your Copy(rights)
    08/03/2006
    If you've ever had an idea you wanted to protect from poachers, but weren't certain how to proceed, take heart. Just the thought of weaving through the bureaucratic quagmire of obtaining a copyright, trademark or patent is enough to make you consider vaulting the creation in your mind.
  • Protecting Your Know-How
    09/27/2005
    Small Businesses Often Fail To Protect Their Most Valuable Intellectual Capital

  • Defining Intellectual Property
    05/12/2005
    An often little-understood area of the law that is quite important to your business is called intellectual property law. It has to do with intangible assets, like words, phrases and pictures. These may in fact be your most important assets.
  • So You’ve Been Accused of Patent Infringement…
    07/02/2004
    Uh-oh. You just got a nasty letter from a nasty attorney claiming that your product infringes his client’s patent. They want you to stop selling the product and give up information about your supplier, past sales and present inventory. What should you do?
  • Cracking the Code: Trademarks, Copyrights and Patents
    12/09/2003
    A trademark usually consists of a word, phrase, logo or other unique symbol used to distinguish a product from others on the market.
  • Your Trademark is Your Business, You Better Protect It
    09/24/2003
    You wouldn't let a competitor back a truck up to your warehouse, fill it with your goods and drive away. Many businesses, however, do the equivalent when they fail to establish and protect their trademarks.
  • Protecting Your Business With Trademarks and Copyrights
    06/11/2003
    If you have a unique product or service that is the first in the marketplace, you may want to consider protecting it with a trademark or a copyright.
  • U.S. Patent and Trademark Office: Protecting Your BusinessÆs Property
    04/23/2003
    If your business depends on the success of original products and services, you'll want to keep your physical and intellectual property out of the hands of competitors.
  • Protect Your Property With a Patent Lawyer
    04/19/2002
    You wouldn't leave your small business's valuable merchandise unattended or unsecured, but have you sufficiently protected your company's name or a cutting-edge service from competitors?
  • Ownership of Copyrights
    03/12/2002
    Who owns the copyright to a graphic design, an article or an architectural rendering, the freelancer or the requesting company?