Protecting Your Intellectual Property
Intellectual property refers to creations of the mind: inventions, literary and artistic works, and symbols, names, images, and designs used in commerce.
Intellectual property is divided into two categories: Industrial property, which includes inventions (patents), trademarks, industrial designs, and geographic indications of source; and Copyright, which includes literary and artistic works such as novels, poems and plays, films, musical works, artistic works such as drawings, paintings, photographs and sculptures, and architectural designs. Rights related to copyright include those of performing artists in their performances, producers of phonograms in their recordings, and those of broadcasters in their radio and television programs.
Websites With Information About Intellectual Property
United States Patent and Trademark Office
http://www.uspto.gov/
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) administers the patent and trademark laws as they relate to the granting of patents for utility inventions, designs and plants and the issuing of trademark registrations. The USPTO examines applications for patents to determine if the applicants are entitled to patents and grants the patents when they are so entitled. It examines applications for trademark registration to determine if the applicants are entitled to register their trademarks and issues trademark registrations. The USPTO publishes issued patents, approved trademark registrations and various publications concerning patents and trademarks; records assignments of patents and trademarks; and maintains search rooms and a national network of Patent and Trademark Depository Libraries for the use by the public to study issued patents, registered trademarks, and pending trademark applications and records relating to both patents and trademarks. It also supplies copies of records and other papers.
World Intellectual Property Organization
http://www.wipo.org/
The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) is an international organization dedicated to promoting the use and protection of works of the human spirit. These works – intellectual property – are expanding the bounds of science and technology and enriching the world of the arts. Through its work, WIPO plays an important role in enhancing the quality and enjoyment of life, as well as creating real wealth for nations.
With headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, WIPO is one of the 16 specialized agencies of the United Nations system of organizations. It administers 23 international treaties dealing with different aspects of intellectual property protection. The Organization counts 179 nations as member states. Please visit the links below for more information – both general and specific – on WIPO.
American Intellectual Property Law Association
http://www.aipla.org/
The American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA) is a 13,000 member, national bar association constituted primarily of lawyers in private and corporate practice, in government service, and in the academic community. The AIPLA represents a wide and diverse spectrum of individuals, companies and institutions involved directly or indirectly in the practice of patent, trademark, copyright and unfair competition law, as well as other fields of law affecting intellectual property. Our members represent both owners and users of intellectual property.
The AIPLA was formed in 1897 in order to maintain a high standard of professional ethics, to aid in the improvements in laws relating to intellectual property and in their proper interpretation by the courts, and to provide legal education to the public and to its members on intellectual property issues.
Pierce Law’s IP Mall
http://www.ipmall.info/
The IP Mall is an internationally acclaimed IP resource Website providing information and links to the most valuable online resources in the world. The IP Mall links to a unique collection of intellectual property resources served up by the Franklin Pierce Law Center (without exception continuously ranked by U.S. News & World Report as one of the top five IP law schools in the country), as well as hundreds of others on the Internet.
Intellectual Property Owners Association
http://www.ipo.org//AM/Template.cfm?Section=Home
The membership of Intellectual Property Owners Association includes 100 large and mid-size companies and 250 small businesses, universities, inventors, authors, executives, law firms and attorneys. IPO is the only association that represents the interest of all owners of intellectual property. It differs from bar associations by focusing exclusively on protecting rights of ownership of property.
Intellectual Property Law Server
http://www.intelproplaw.com/
The intellectual property law server provides information about intellectual property law including patent, trademark and copyright. Resources include comprehensive links, general information, space for professionals to publish articles and forums for discussing related issues.
International Intellectual Property Alliance
http://www.iipa.com/
The International Intellectual Property Alliance (IIPA) is a private sector coalition formed in 1984 to represent the U.S. copyright-based industries in bilateral and multilateral efforts to improve international protection of copyrighted materials. IIPA is comprised of six trade associations, each representing a significant segment of the U.S. copyright community. These member associations represent over 1,100 U.S. companies producing and distributing materials protected by copyright laws throughout the world – all types of computer software including business applications software and entertainment software (such as videogame CDs and cartridges, personal computer CD-ROMs and multimedia products); theatrical films, television programs, home videos and digital representations of audiovisual works; music, records, CDs, and audiocassettes; and textbooks, tradebooks, reference and professional publications and journals (in both electronic and print media).
Intellectual Property and Technology Forum at Boston College Law School
http://www.bc.edu/iptf
Welcome to the Intellectual Property and Technology Forum at Boston College Law School. The Forum is a legal publication dedicated to providing readers with rigorous, innovative scholarship, timely reporting, and ongoing discussion from the legal community concerning technology law and intellectual property.
The Canadian Intellectual Property Office
http://strategis.gc.ca
The Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO), a Special Operating Agency (SOA) associated with Industry Canada, is responsible for the administration and processing of the greater part of Intellectual Property in Canada.
IP Australia
http://www.ipaustralia.gov.au/
IP Australia is the federal government agency that grants rights in patents, trademarks and designs. Our mission is to ensure that Australians benefit from the effective use of intellectual property (IP), particularly through increased innovation, investment and trade. IP Australia incorporates the Patent, Designs and Trade Marks Offices. It is a division of the Department of Industry, Tourism and Resources (ITR) but operates independently and reports directly to the Minister.
American Libraries Association
http://www.ala.org/
Copyright is central to the work of libraries. Libraries have a responsibility to understand the basic concepts of copyright in order to provide library services that are key to our society. And librarians play a critical educational role by helping their communities understand their rights and responsibilities under the copyright law.
Copyright has a direct impact on what we do and what our library users can do. Copyright’s First Sale Doctrine allows libraries to lend books, archival exemptions allow libraries to make copies of materials for preservation purposes, and the Doctrine of Fair Use allows library users to use copyrighted materials in a reasonable manner without seeking permission from publishers or clearinghouses.
However, copyright law is becoming increasingly complex, primarily due to advances in digital technology and the increased use and reliance on the World Wide Web as an information distribution and publishing tool. Now more than ever, librarians need authoritative information on how to respond to day-to-day situations that involve copyright.
ALA’s Office for Information Technology Policy is leading the way with its own Copyright Education Program. Its theme is “Copyright, Libraries and the Public.” The initiative will provide the library community with educational materials and programs to help libraries be more knowledgeable about copyright. The goal of the program is to help librarians address these questions, and to help them gain confidence and expertise in dealing with copyright issues. We welcome and encourage your feedback.
The Government of Hong Kong Intellectual Property Department
http://www.ipd.gov.hk/eng/home.htm
