Atlanta Intellectual Property Lawyers
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Understanding Intellectual Property
Intellectual property can be an invention, idea, trade secret or even a scientist’s formula. It is something that has been produced by a person that is unique and bears some importance to the market place. For example, J.K. Rowling’s book Harry Potter has earned her money and fame based on her unique telling of a fictional story. She is the author and “keeper” of that story and someone else cannot use her idea in order to get ahead in the market without facing legal action from her or her publisher. And that’s where Atlanta’s intellectual property lawyers come in. This specialized area of law requires a lawyer who addresses the legal issues surrounding intellectual property cases.
The World Intellectual Property Organization has divided intellectual property into two types: industrial property and copyright property. Industrial property can be an invention or patent, trademarks, industrial designs, etc. Copyright property is a literary or artistic work such as a play, book, film or text on the internet.
The Four (Main) Types of Intellectual Property:
Trademark: In a world full of products, companies must set themselves apart from the crowd. Almost all use their own name, logo or symbol to help different them from competitors. For example, the name Disney is known to children around the world whether referring to the amusement parks or the films created by them. Trademarks must be registered and they last for 10 years and are renewable.
Patent: When an invention or discovery is patented, others may not make, use or sell this patent. Patents expire after 20 years and are renewable.
Trade Secret: This might be a formula, certain data or a device that is exclusive to a company. For example, a company’s “secret sauce” is a trade secret.
Copyright: A copyright protects authors who are the original creator of such things as music, a book or a computer game. A copyright lasts throughout the author’s life, plus 50 years.
Why You Need to Hire an Intellectual Property Attorney
If you live in the Atlanta area and your case involves intellectual property, you must have representation. This complicated area of law requires knowledge of a broad range of legal issues that include contracts, patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets and other issues. Whether the issue involves pertaining or obtaining a licensed trademark, copyrights or other intellectual property, your lawyer can help. Basically, your lawyer is there to explain the legal issues surrounding the rights of ownership.
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