protecting the intellectual property of your business the intellectual property of your business...
TRANSCRIPT
Protecting theIntellectual Property of Your
Business
Peter D. Sabido
Intellectual Property AttorneyKolisch Hartwell, P.C.
Lunch n’ LearnTualatin Chamber of Commerce
April 7, 2009
© Kolisch Hartwell 2009All Rights Reserved
Overview
Basics of the primary areas of intellectualproperty law: Patents
Trademarks
Copyrights
Trade Secrets
General considerations for each of those areas
© Kolisch Hartwell 2009All Rights Reserved
US Patent No: 6,970,105Passenger Control System During a Plane Flying
"The system is designed in a mannerthat the emotional conditions of thepassengers are detected and, in caseof change of such conditions, theplane personnel is informed so as tointervene promptly on the relatedpassenger... the system referred tocan deliver to the evil minded persona substance like a narcotic or astrong tranquilizer adapted toneutralize the offensive capabilitythereof”
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PATENTS
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Our inventions mirror our secret wishes.- Lawrence George Durrell
What is a Patent?
Grants the right to exclude others from making,using, selling, offering to sell, or importing intothe United States a “patented invention” for afixed period of time.
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What can be Patented?- Devices
- Compositions of Matter
- Processes
- Articles of Manufacturing
- Methods of Use
- Software
- Business Methods
- Genetically Engineered Organisms
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If You Build a Better Mousetrap…
U.S. Patent No. 5,706,601 to Dail et al. for TRAPAND METHOD FOR TRAPPING A MOUSEOR OTHER RODENT © Kolisch Hartwell 2009
All Rights Reserved
…You Will Catch Better Mice
U.S. Patent No. 4,736,866 to Leder et al. forTRANSGENIC NON-HUMAN MAMMALS
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What Cannot be Patented?
Principles
Laws of Nature
Mental Processes
Intellectual Concepts
Ideas
Natural Phenomena
MathematicalFormulae
Fundamental Truths
Original Causes
Motives
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Types of Patents
Utility Patents
Protects how an invention works
Design Patents
Protects how an invention looks
Plant Patents
Protects new varieties of plants
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Requirements for PatentsIt must be:
Useful
Novel (New)
Nonobvious
Invented by you
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Patent Considerations
Conduct a patent search before filing a patentapplication
File the patent application before disclosure orcommercialization
- One year grace period in North America
- No grace period in many countries
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TRADEMARKS
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What is a Trademark?
Protects an exclusive “sign” or “mark” that isused to distinguish products or services.
Grants the right to exclude others from using aconfusingly similar mark for similar products orservices
For famous marks, grants the right to excludeothers from using a confusingly similar mark forany products or services
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Examples of Trademarks
Word
Word and Symbol
Stylized Word© Kolisch Hartwell 2009All Rights Reserved
Examples of Trademarks
Symbol Device
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Examples of Trademarks
Slogan Sound
Color
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Types of Trademarks
Common law
Automatic but rights exist only where mark used
Burden on owner to prove rights
State registered
Rights exist only where mark used + zone of expansion
Federally registered
Nationwide rights, regardless of where mark used
May be obtained before use begins
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How to Select a Mark
Two main considerations:
A distinctive element
Cannot cause confusion with existing marks
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Can “Cake” be a Trademark?
No Common commercial name
for the goods
Does not distinguish goodsfrom others in marketplace
Yes Identifies goods
Distinguishes goodsfrom others inmarketplace
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Trademark Considerations
Conduct a trademark search early
File an application or use the trademark early
Present the mark as a mark
- Set marks apart from regular text
- Follow marks with a trademark symbol (TM, ®)
- Marks are always adjectives, never nouns
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US Patent No: 5,509,859Leash With Sound
"A novelty item for creating theillusion of an imaginary petincluding a hollow, elongatedleash with a handle at one endand a collar and harness adjacentthe other end. Housed within thehandle, which is hollow, is abattery power source and anintegrated circuit for producing aplurality of animal sounds.”
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COPYRIGHTS
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What is a Copyright?
Grants the right for a fixed period of time toexclude others from:
copying, distributing, and performing ordisplaying publicly an original work ofauthorship, and
preparing derivative works based on theoriginal work of authorship
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What are “Original Works ofAuthorship”?
Literary works
Pictorial, graphic, and sculptural works
Audiovisual works
Musical works
Dramatic works
Sound recordings
Architectural works
Choreographic works
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Examples of Copyrights
Harry Potter – Book
(Literary Work)
Harry Potter – Movie
(Motion Picture)© Kolisch Hartwell 2009All Rights Reserved
Examples of Copyrights
Harry Potter – Soundtrack
(Sound Recording)
Harry Potter – Movie Poster
(Pictorial Work)© Kolisch Hartwell 2009All Rights Reserved
What are not “Original Works ofAuthorship”?
Ideas
Procedures
Processes
Systems
Titles
Short Phrases
Methods ofOperations
Concepts
Principles
Discoveries
Useful Articles
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Types of Copyrights
Automatic Rights
Original work of authorship
Fixed on a tangible medium
Registered Rights
Registered with the U.S. Copyright Office
Life of author plus 70 years
Statutory damages
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Copyright Considerations
Owner must provide notice
Owner must register to enforce
Independent contractors own the copyrights intheir work unless you have an agreement tothe contrary
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US Patent No: 7,062,320Device for the Treatment of Hiccups
"A device for curing hiccups,comprising: a metallic cup-likevessel being a first electrode forproducing electricity adapted tobe applied to the lip of the user;and a second electrodeelectrically insulated from saidfirst electrode being affixed tosaid vessel and extending from apoint substantially within saidvessel to a point substantiallyabove a rim of the vessel.”
© Kolisch Hartwell 2009All Rights Reserved
TRADE SECRETS
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What is a Trade Secret?
Protects against acquisition or disclosure by“improper means”
- Theft
- Bribery
- Misrepresentation
- Breach of a duty to maintain secrecy
- Espionage
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Examples of Trade Secrets
Drawings
Cost Data
Customer Lists
Compositions
Patterns
Compilations
Programs
Devices
Techniques
Processes
Methods of Assembly
Other Methods
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Trade Secrets – Specific Examples
KFC’s
11 Secret Herbs and Spices
Coca-Cola’s
Secret Soft Drink Formula© Kolisch Hartwell 2009All Rights Reserved
Requirements for Trade Secrets
Independent economic value from being notgenerally known
Reasonable efforts to maintain its secrecy
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Trade Secrets Considerations
May last forever but all value may be lost atany time
Reverse engineering
Accidental disclosure
Independent development
If others patent what you have as a secret,they could prevent you from using your“secret”
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US Patent No: 5,996,127Wearable device for feeding and observing birds
"A device for feeding and observingflying animals comprising:
a hat, the hat including a frontportion and a rear portion;
a first support mounted on the hatand extending forward of the frontportion of the hat; and a feederconfigured to contain food for flyinganimals mounted on the firstsupport, wherein the flying animalscan be observed while they feed.”
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Peter D. Sabido
Intellectual Property Attorney
Kolisch Hartwell, P.C.
520 SW Yamhill Street, Suite 200
Portland, Oregon 97204
(503) 224–6655
© Kolisch Hartwell 2009All Rights Reserved