Frequently Asked Questions
Patents
WHAT IS A PATENT?
WHEN SHOULD I FILE MY FIRST PATENT APPLICATION?
ARE ALL INVENTIONS PATENTABLE?
WHAT IS THE PROPER SUBJECT MATTER OF A PATENT?
WHAT IS THE REQUIREMENT OF NOVELTY?
WHAT IS THE REQUIREMENT OF UTILITY?
WHAT IS THE REQUIREMENT OF UNOBVIOUSNESS?
WHAT IS A PATENT SEARCH?
HOW CAN I GET A PATENT SEARCH DONE?
HOW CAN I APPLY FOR PATENT PROTECTION?
WHAT IS A PROVISIONAL PATENT APPLICATION?
WHAT CAN I DO TO PROTECT MY INVENTION IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES?
WHAT IS MEANT BY THE PHRASE PROSECUTION OF APPLICATIONS?
HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO GET A PATENT ISSUED?
HOW LONG DOES PATENT PROTECTION LAST?
WHAT DO I HAVE TO DO TO MAINTAIN MY PATENT?
HOW CAN I EXPLOIT MY PATENT/INVENTION?
HOW IMPORTANT IS CONFIDENTIALITY TO OBTAINING PATENT PROTECTION?
WHAT IS A CONFIDENTIALITY AGREEMENT?
SHOULD I DISCLOSE MY INVENTION TO ANYONE ELSE?
WHAT IS MEANT BY A NEED TO KNOW?
HOW DO I KNOW IT'S SAFE TO TELL YOU ABOUT MY INVENTION?
WHAT DO I NEED TO DO BEFORE I COME?
HOW MUCH WILL IT COST ME?
Trademarks
WHAT IS A TRADEMARK?
SHOULD I REGISTER MY TRADEMARK?
WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A TRADEMARK AND A TRADE NAME?
HOW CAN I ACQUIRE AND PROTECT TRADEMARK RIGHTS?
WHAT STEPS CAN I TAKE TO REGISTER MY TRADEMARK?
WHAT CAN I DO TO PROTECT MY TRADEMARK IN OTHER COUNTRIES?
WHAT SORT OF TRADEMARK SHOULD I CHOOSE?
WHAT CAN'T I CHOOSE AS A TRADEMARK?
HOW SHOULD I TAKE CARE OF MY TRADEMARK?
IN WHAT MANNER CAN I USE MY TRADEMARK?
SHOULD I POLICE MY TRADEMARK?
CAN I LICENSE MY TRADEMARK FOR USE BY OTHERS?
HOW CAN I MAXIMIZE MY TRADEMARK'S EFFECTIVENESS?
HOW MUCH WILL IT COST ME?
Industrial Design
WHAT IS AN INDUSTRIAL DESIGN?
WHAT IS MEANT BY FEATURES OF SHAPE, CONFIGURATION, PATTERN, ORNAMENTATION, COMBINATIONS?
WHAT IS THE REQUIREMENT OF APPLICATION TO A USEFUL ARTICLE?
WHAT IS THE REQUIREMENT OF A NON-UTILITARIAN DESIGN?
WHAT IS THE REQUIREMENT OF VISIBILITY?
WHAT IS THE REQUIREMENT OF A FIXED APPEARANCE?
WHAT IS THE REQUIREMENT OF MASS PRODUCTION?
CAN I PROTECT COLOUR AS PART OF MY INDUSTRIAL DESIGN?
CAN I PROTECT A PATTERN AS PART OF MY INDUSTRIAL DESIGN?
HOW DO I PROTECT MY INDUSTRIAL DESIGN?
WHEN SHOULD I REGISTER MY INDUSTRIAL DESIGN?
HOW DO I PROTECT MY INDUSTRIAL DESIGN IN OTHER COUNTRIES?
HOW IMPORTANT IS CONFIDENTIALITY TO PROTECTION OF MY INDUSTRIAL DESIGN?
WHAT IS A CONFIDENTIALITY AGREEMENT?
SHOULD I DISCLOSE MY INDUSTRIAL DESIGN TO ANYONE ELSE?
WHAT IS MEANT BY A NEED TO KNOW?
HOW DO I KNOW IT'S SAFE TO DISCLOSE MY INDUSTRIAL DESIGN TO YOU?
WHAT ARE THE APPROPRIATE INDUSTRIAL DESIGN MARKINGS?
HOW IMPORTANT IS APPLYING THE APPROPRIATE INDUSTRIAL DESIGN MARKINGS?
WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AN INDUSTRIAL DESIGN AND A TRADEMARK?
WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AN INDUSTRIAL DESIGN AND A COPYRIGHT?
WHAT SHOULD I DO BEFORE I COME IN FOR MY INITIAL INTERVIEW?
HOW MUCH WILL IT COST ME?
Trade Secrets
WHAT IS A TRADE SECRET?
WHAT IS MEANT BY KNOW HOW?
WHAT IS MEANT BY SHOW HOW?
HOW DO I PROTECT MY TRADE SECRET?
HOW DO I DEFEND AGAINST AN ALLEGATION OF UNAUTHORIZED TAKING OR USE OF A TRADE SECRET?
CAN I TAKE ACTION AGAINST A THIRD PARTY TO WHOM MY TRADE SECRET HAS BEEN DISCLOSED?
HOW ARE TRADE SECRETS PROTECTED IN THE U.S.?
CAN SOMEONE BE HELD CRIMINALLY LIABLE FOR TRADE SECRET THEFT IN THE U.S.?
WHAT DOES THE CRIMINAL LEGISLATION IN THE U.S. PROTECT?
WHAT IS AN OFFENCE UNDER THE CRIMINAL LEGISLATION OF THE U.S.?
CAN THE U.S.'S CRIMINAL LEGISLATION BE APPLIED EXTRA-TERRITORIALLY?
Copyright
WHAT IS A COPYRIGHT?
HOW DOES COPYRIGHT COME INTO EXISTENCE?
HOW LONG DOES COPYRIGHT LAST?
CAN COPYRIGHT BE TRANSFERRED?
WHAT ARE PERFORMANCE RIGHTS?
WHAT IS MEANT BY MORAL RIGHTS?
ARE ALL WORKS COPYRIGHTABLE?
WHAT IS AN ARTISTIC WORK?
WHAT IS A DRAMATIC WORK?
WHAT IS A MUSICAL WORK?
WHAT IS A LITERARY WORK?
SHOULD I GIVE NOTICE OF COPYRIGHT?
WHAT FORM SHOULD MY NOTICE OF COPYRIGHT TAKE?
DO I NEED TO REGISTER MY COPYRIGHT?
WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES OF REGISTERING MY COPYRIGHT?
WHAT CAN I DO TO PROTECT MY COPYRIGHT IN OTHER COUNTRIES?
HOW CAN I EXPLOIT MY COPYRIGHT?
HOW IS A WORK PUBLISHED?
WHAT DO I NEED TO DO BEFORE MY INITIAL INTERVIEW?
HOW MUCH WILL IT COST ME?