Basic Facts on Intellectual Property - LAW OFFICE OF ELIAS M. GORDAN

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0 height="100%"><tr> <td valign="top" width=175 BGCOLOR="#A6CAF0" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="132" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 35 ><NOBR><div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="21"></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="21"></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="20"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="35" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="20" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="HOME PAGE LAW OFFICE OF ELIAS M. GORDAN"><U><B><IMG SRC="00d0d1d0.gif" border=0 width="13" height="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="27"></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></B></div> <div> <B>© </B>2001 Elias M. Gordan</div> <div> All rights reserved</div> <bR> <div> <B>Law Office of</B></div> <div> <B>Elias M. Gordan</B></div> <div> Post Office Box 60</div> <div> Palos Park, IL  60464</div> <bR> <div> Phone  708.923.9735</div> <div> Email  gordanlaw@att.net</div> <div> Web    www.gordanlaw.com</div> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="HOME PAGE LAW OFFICE OF ELIAS M. GORDAN"><U><B>HOME</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id24.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="LAW OFFICE OF ELIAS M. GORDAN About Us"><U><B>About Us</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id30.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="LAW OFFICE OF ELIAS M. GORDAN Links"><U><B>Links</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id26.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="LAW OFFICE OF ELIAS M. GORDAN Contact U"><U><B>Contact Us</B></U></A></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> BASIC FACTS - INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY</div> <div> ©2000 Attorney Elias M. Gordan, <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><A HREF="http://www.gordanlaw.com" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.gordanlaw.com"><U><U>http://www.gordanlaw.com</U></U></A></FONT>.  All rights reserved. </div> <div> Updated April, 2001.</div> <bR> <div>        Intellectual property, simply put, is the expression of ideas.  An idea can be expressed through an invention, a writing, a software program, a design, a slogan, a symbol, a secret formula, or an Internet name, among other ways.  While ideas typically are not protectable, expressions of ideas <B>can</B> be protectable, in the U.S. and in foreign countries, but too many businesses and individuals ignore the "gold mine" of rights they literally have under their very noses.  United States laws can protect these expressions in one or more ways:</div> <bR> <div> <B>- Patents</B>.  Patents are granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) to new, useful, and unobvious inventions that meet certain requirements established by Federal law and USPTO rules.  There are three major types of patents: 1) <U>utility patents</U>, for processes, machines, manufactures, compositions of matter, and their improvements;  2) <U>design patents</U>, for nonfunctional ornamental designs; and  3) <U>plant patents</U>, for new varieties of plants.  A patent grants an inventor the right to prevent others from making, using, or selling his/her invention for a limited period of time.  This time period extends for 20 years from the date of application, for utility and plant patents, subject to extension in certain cases.  For design patents, the rights extend for 14 years from the date the patent was issued.  Patent rights arise exclusively under Federal law.  <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000BF" FACE="Arial" ><A HREF="id31.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="LAW OFFICE OF ELIAS M. GORDAN IP Links"><U>Go to our patent-law links.</U></A>   <A HREF="id86.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="FAQ Patents LAW OFFICE OF ELIAS M. GORD"><U>More info</U></A></FONT></div> <div> <B>- Copyright</B>.  Works of authorship fixed in any tangible medium of expression (including a Website) give rise to exclusive rights in the author, to reproduce, copy, derive from, display, or perform these works.  Claims to these Federal  “copy rights” may be filed with the Copyright Office of the Library of Congress (though highly recommended, this is not mandatory), and extend for the life of the author, plus 70 years after the author’s death, with some exceptions.  <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000BF" FACE="Arial" ><A HREF="id31.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="LAW OFFICE OF ELIAS M. GORDAN IP Links"><U>Go to our copyright-law links.</U></A>  <A HREF="id87.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="FAQ Copyrights LAW OFFICE OF ELIAS GORD"><U>More info</U></A></FONT></div> <div> <B>- Trademarks and other Identity Rights</B>.  Means of distinguishing one’s goods or services in commerce are protectable under Federal <U>and</U> State law.  This can include “trademarks” for goods, “service marks” for services, “trade dress” for the “look and feel” of a product, and “certification marks” or “collective marks” for groups.  Unlike patents and copyrights, trademark and other identity rights can last indefinitely as long as they remain in use.  Identity rights under State and Federal law protect from imitation, confusion, dilution, counterfeiting, deceptive advertising, and other forms of unfair competition.  <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000BF" FACE="Arial" ><A HREF="id31.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="LAW OFFICE OF ELIAS M. GORDAN IP Links"><U>Go to our trademark-law links.</U></A>  <A HREF="id88.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="FAQ Trademarks LAW OFFICE OF ELIAS M. G"><U>Go to our trademark articles</U></A><A HREF="id48.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="DEVELOPING AND REGISTERING A TRADEMARK "><U>.</U></A></FONT></div> <div> <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B>- Trade Secrets</B>.  Business information that is kept secret from outsiders, and valuable by virtue of its secrecy, can be protected under State and Federal law from unauthorized appropriation and use.  Note that this often does not apply to legitimate, independent "reverse-engineering" (however, "reverse-engineering" is often prohibited by contract provisions).  Unlike patents, trademarks, and copyrights, which grant exclusive rights in return for varying degrees of disclosure, trade secret rights arise from being kept secret, and can be lost once they become generally known.  </FONT><A HREF="id31.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="LAW OFFICE OF ELIAS M. GORDAN IP Links"><U>Go to our trade-secret law links.</U></A>  <A HREF="id89.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="FAQ Trade Secrets LAW OFFICE OF ELIAS M"><U>More info</U></A>.</div> <div> <B>- Internet rights</B>.  A variety of intellectual property rights can arise on the Internet, from domain-name and other identity rights, to copyrights, to patent and trade secret rights.  <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000BF" FACE="Arial" ><A HREF="id46.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Putting Your Name on the Web LAW OFFICE"><U>Read some of our articles on the subject.</U></A></FONT></div> <div>         Like any other asset, intellectual property rights must be developed, maintained, and  protected, to keep your edge over your competition.   Ignorance of these rights can only hurt you and your business.  Should you wish to set up a consultation on these issues, please <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000BF" FACE="Arial" ><A HREF="id26.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="LAW OFFICE OF ELIAS M. GORDAN Contact U"><U>contact us</U></A></FONT>.</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>DISCLAIMER</B></div> <div> The information contained in this guide is meant only to convey general information, and is not intended to serve as legal advice or counsel, nor is it meant to create an attorney-client relationship.  The information presented here is subject to change or modification that any time without notice, and may not apply to the specific facts of your case.  Accordingly, you should check with a with an attorney before acting on this information, to make sure that it applies to your situation.</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="HOME PAGE LAW OFFICE OF ELIAS M. GORDAN"><U><B>BACK TO HOME PAGE AND RECENT NEWS</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <B>Law Office of Elias M. Gordan, </B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000BF" FACE="Times New Roman" ><A HREF="http://www.gordanlaw.com" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.gordanlaw.com"><U><B>http://www.gordanlaw.com</B></U></A></FONT><B> </B></div> <div> <B>Post Office Box 60, Palos Park, IL, 60464   </B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000BF" FACE="Times New Roman" ><A HREF="http://www.gordanlaw.com/id26.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.gordanlaw.com/id26.htm"><U><B>email gordanlaw@att.net</B></U></A></FONT></div> <div> <B>708.923.9735</B></div> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>