Do you have an idea? Perhaps it's an idea that you have been working on for months, or maybe even years?
Maybe you've been working on this idea at home in the garage, the basement or even in your home office. Or perhaps you've been tinkering with an idea at work when you've had some free time.
And like most, you continually think to yourself "This is a great idea".
And maybe you even confided in family or friends about this idea....and they told you the same thing? If this scenario sounds familiar, then maybe it's time to take the next step.
Over 15 years ago, we dreamed of forming a law firm focusing exclusively on protecting new ideas and have worked hard over the years to build the reputation of Gold & Rizvi, P.A. to where it is today.
Together we make an unbeatable team – The Idea Attorneys®.
We believe that is far better to excel in a single area of law then to be mediocre in a number of different fields. So, we focus on doing only one thing - protecting new ideas - and doing it better than anyone else.
Both of us are frequently quoted in national legal journals and intellectual property publications. Over the years, we have become recognized experts in intellectual property law and are AV rated by the Martindale Hubbel legal directory, the highest rating possible for a law firm.
And as clients of our firm, you will always deal directly with one of us.
Just below, we provide more information about patents, trademarks and other areas of Intellectual Property Law. Go ahead and spend a few minutes exploring the area that applies to your particular situation....and discover what you need to do to take your idea to the next level.
But before you do, let me say this....
When it comes down to finding help with your ideas, you really deserve better than the closest local patent attorney.
Here's what I mean by that. If you were looking for a surgeon to perform open-heart surgery, would you limit your search to those advertising in your local phone book or within driving distance?
Of course not. You would look for the most experienced, recommended, and qualified doctor you can find — and travel to him or her to have your operation.
If your idea is good enough that you worry about someone stealing it, it is worth patenting – and patenting it correctly.
And since hiring a patent attorney requires no travel, why limit your search to the closest attorneys you can find?
Less than 1 percent of all lawyers are registered to practice before the United States Patent Office. So why limit your choice of a lawyer even further by focusing on the tiny handful of patent lawyers that happen to be within driving distance of you?
All patenting matters can (and usually are) handled personally via telephone, facsimile, email, and overnight delivery without any required in-person meetings. Today, most patent applications are filed ELECTRONICALLY over the Internet using the Patent Office’s digital filing software — making a lawyer's distance from the Patent Office completely irrelevant. In fact, the U.S. Patent Office stopped maintaining paper copies of patents at their patent search facility years ago.
That's why it's no surprise that a significant number of our clients are located all over the U.S., and many are even outside of the United States (Our easy to use webcam and video conferencing abilities attract a lot of new clients).
If you have any questions at all, don't hesitate to contact me of my partner at 1 866 433 2288, or use the contact form located on this page. And we do hope you take a few minutes on our website and discover more about Intellectual Property Laws in the U.S. - and how you can take advantage of that protection.
Intellectual Property Information
Patent Law: (click this link for more Patent information)
Patent law allows an individual to profit from their idea. By holding a patent, it gives you the legal right to stop others from using your idea unless they:
Obtain your permission first;
And pay you a continuous licensing fee (or royalty payment) - or purchase the patent from you.
When you file a patent, you establish ownership of an idea. It’s very similar to the way a Title proves ownership of an automobile or a deed proves ownership of your home. And just like your home, patents can be very valuable. They can be sold, purchased, leased and used as collateral for loans. You can even use a will and pass it along to your heirs.
FREE PATENT INFORMATION
FREE CONFIDENTIAL EVALUATION
Trademark Law: (click this link for more Trademark information)
A trademark gives you the exclusive right to use a mark to distinguish the goods or services of one person or company from another. Typically, a trademark will be a word, phrase, logo or design. Sometimes you’ll even see a trademark be a combination of these elements.
FREE TRADEMARK INFORMATION
FILE A TRADEMARK ONLINE
Copyright Law: (click this link for more Copyright information)
Copyrights are typically used to protect creative expressions, such as:
Intellectual property protection, as it relates to the Internet, encompasses a number of different areas. For example, it could include patent protection for unique web-based business methods and online processes, trademark protection for online identities and domain names, and even copyright protection for creative expressions, such as website designs, advertising company, and images.
Trade Secret Law: (click this link for more Trade Secret information)
Trade secret law will protect a businesses proprietary and confidential information that they use as part of their normal business practice. Some common examples of what is protected by trade secret law would be marketing plans, customer or supplier lists, formula’s for chemical or biological compositions, and unique manufacturing processes.
Unfair competition law can be applied to a wide variety of commercial or business practices and conduct, including acts of trademark and trade dress infringement, false advertising, dilution, and theft of trade secrets.
Here’s an example. Your business has an existing product or service and you find that some other entity has stolen or copied it. Unfair competition laws may enable you to obtain relief when other intellectual property protection such as patents, trademarks and copyrights are unavailable.
Franchise Law (click this link for more Franchise information)
The success of any franchise is largely due to a trademark for the product or service that is being provided. When a business owner finds others that are willing to invest their time and money to assist with growing a business concept, that business owner can use franchising to clone their business ideas and marketing techniques. The franchise owner will then see growth rates much higher than if they were opening more units by themselves.
USPTO Joint Labor-Management Task Force Proposes Significant Changes to Examiner Count System The USPTO has unveiled a series of proposals that would bring significant change to the examiner ?count system? ? the methodology for determining the time a patent examiner has to complete a patent examination and how much credit is given for each stage of an examination. The proposals were developed by a task force comprised [...]
USPTO Fee Schedule Revisions Take Effect On September 15, 2009 The USPTO has revised its schedule of fees to reflect upward revisions of some PCT fees to foreign patent offices. The fee increases will go into effect on October 2, 2009. The revised fee schedule is available here.
The Law Office of Michael E. Kondoudis
DC Patent Attorney
www.mekiplaw.com
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