Florida’s economy is highly competitive and so businesses need to protect every advantage they have in the marketplace. They can do this through smart application of intellectual property law.
Intellectual property is defined as the laws that were written to protect the rights of the creators and owners of artistic works, inventions and designs.
There are three main types of intellectual property that can be protected under state and federal law:
- Patents: This type of protection covers inventions that are considered useful (for example, a novel product, a new approach to doing business or a novel process for creating something our using it in a new way). Patent protection can also protect new designs for existing products.
- Trademarks: Trademark law protects brand names of services and products , unique logos and package designs. Trademark law is considered a section of the law of unfair competition. This type of law encompasses protection over trade secret protection, deceptive and unfair trade practices and unfair competition.
- Copyrights: Copyright law that protects original works such as books, artwork, music, photos, software and web pages.
Please note that there are times when a particular intellectual property can fall under more than one kind of protection.
Solid advice from a Florida intellectual property attorney
If you are having issues with intellectual property protection, it may be wise to consult a Florida intellectual property attorney to help you work out those issues. Businesses generally have intellectual property that must be protected and the expertise of an attorney can really make a great deal of difference to your case. The attorney can advise you on which protection would be most appropriate under your circumstances.
Sometimes, the administrative aspect of registering your intellectual property with the Copyright Office or Patent and Trademark Office or protecting your rights as trade secrets may be daunting and your attorney may be able to make the entire process run much more smoothly than it would if you were handling it on your own.
