What to Know About Intellectual Property Rights in New Jersey
According to the World Trade Organization, intellectual property rights are the rights given to a person over the creations of their minds. People come up with unique ideas everyday, and it is important to protect these ideas. Read on to learn more about the different ways to protect your intellectual property in New Jersey:
What is a Patent?
Essentially, a patent is a contract between a creator and the government. This grants them property rights to the patent for 20 years from the date of filing the patent application. There are three different types of patents available to a person: utility patents, design patents, and plant patents. You should reach out to an intellectual property attorney to determine which parent to file. In order to create a patent, your idea must be unique, new, useful, and not obvious.
What is Copyright?
Another form of protection is copyright. This is given to individuals for both published and unpublished original works. When a person receives copyright protection for their idea, they can grant rights to print, publish, perform, film or record it.
What is a Trademark?
A trademark refers to a symbol, word, or phrase that is legally registered with the government. This is done to represent a company or a product. To obtain a trademark, the owner of the idea is required to file paperwork with the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
What is a Licensing Agreement?
It is possible for a person with legal ownership of a concept to allow others to use it in order to make a further profit. This can be done through a licensing agreement. With this, the owner allows others to use, market, manufacture, distribute or sell their work under the agreement that they are compensated for it.
What is a Trade Secret?
Certain secrets may be necessary when it comes to business. In order to be considered a trade secret, the information must be a secret, have commercial value because of the secrecy, and the owner must take the necessary steps to keep it private.
If you have any questions about protecting your intellectual property in New Jersey, conact our firm today.
Contact our Firm
The Law Offices of Richard E. Novak, LLC has over 25 years of experience helping clients through tough times when they need it most. If you need assistance with any intellectual property, traffic violations, or business law matters, our firm is here to help. It is critical that you pick the right attorney who can protect your rights. Contact The Law Offices of Richard E. Novak, LLC for a consultation.