Page 65 - 597 Business Ideas You can Start from Home - doing what you LOVE! (Beginner Internet Marketing Series)

Step 4. Understand Legal Issues 55

PROPERTY RIGHT PROTECTS TERM EXAMPLES

PATENTS I Inventions Wind turbines,
medicine
Utility Patents Useful processes,
machines, manu-
factured items, and
compositions

Design Patents Original, orna- The look of an
athletic shoe,
mental designs for 20 years bicycle helmet,
manufactured items action figure

Plant Patents Invented or dis- Hybrid tea roses,
covered asexually Silver Queen Corn
reproduced plant
varieties

TRADEMARKS : Words, names, Can be renewed for- The roar of the
ever (with continued MGM lion, the
! symbols, sounds, use) shape of the
Coca-Cola bottle,
I or colors that dis- the name 'Coke"

:! tinguish goods and
services

COPYRIGHTS I Protects works of Lasts for the life of Gone with the
the author plus 70 Wind (book and
! authorship such years film), video games

: as writings, music,

I and works of art
i tangibly expressed

TRADE I Information that Trade secrets are not The formula for
SECRETS formally registered Coca-Cola
I companies keep with any governmen-
I secret that gives tal agency; there is
no term or expira-
: them a competitive tion associated with
i advantage. them. That is, trade
secrets remain pro-
, tectable as long as
I they remain secret.
,
In situations where
there is theft of trade
secrets or the pos-
sibility of employees
divulging a compa-
ny's trade secrets
the company must
seek relief from the
appropriate court.

Source: ww.w uspto.gov