Page 73 - 597 Business Ideas You can Start from Home - doing what you LOVE! (Beginner Internet Marketing Series)

Step 4. Understand Legal Issues 63

Be sure you've completed the following tasks.

Checklist to Follow Prior to Meeting with Your IP Attorney
o Could you briefly explain the basic differences between

patents, trademarks, and copyrights? This will demonstrate
to the attorney that you've done your homework and he
won't have to waste time explaining the basics to you.
o If you need a trademark, have you gone to www.uspto.gov
and searched for your possible company and/or product
names7 Do you have a list of possible names that have
cleared your initial search?
o Do you have logos, drawings, or prototypes ready to show
the lawyer?
o Have you researched your competition, or what the closest
invention is?
o If you need a patent, have you searched the patent database
on WWw.uspto.gov and Www.google.comlpatents and printed
out results to show the lawyer?

It's important to set up the lines of protection in the early stages
of business. With a little research under your belt, you will be able to
fit more into that one precious hour of consultation. Follow through
with the attorney's advice and protect yourself. You wouldn't send a
child out on a bike without a helmet, so don't send your product into
the marketplace without its protection. After all, it's your baby too!

million­ Be wary of companies that promise to handle everything
dollar
patenting to product submission to bringing products
TIP
" . the ma rketplace. Some of these companies offer their ser­

vices in late-night infomercials. Many have a checkered past,

so check with your patent attorney and the Better Business

Bureau before dealing with them. The Internet is littered

with nightmarish stories of people who had bad experiences

with invention-submission companies. Check out www

.lPWatchdog.com for some interesting information.