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There are 16 articles related to Intellectual Property


Maximizing Intellectual Property Protection: Balancing Patents and Trade Secrets for Startups

Understanding the pros and cons of using patents and trade secrets to safeguard IP, as well as the potential for strategically combining these approaches, can provide comprehensive protection for innovations.

Trademark Fundamentals: Distinctiveness

Understanding the levels of trademark distinctiveness can help startup founders make informed decisions when selecting and registering trademarks.

Trademark Fundamentals: Likelihood of Confusion

A core concept in trademark law that every startup founder should understand is “likelihood of confusion.” This legal standard plays a pivotal role in both trademark registration and enforcement.

Trademark Fundamentals: Materials Ineligible for Trademark Protection

Not everything can be protected as a trademark. Certain types of material are specifically excluded from trademark protection under U.S. law. As a startup founder, it’s crucial to understand what cannot be registered as a trademark to avoid potential rejections and legal challenges.

Trademark Fundamentals: Opposition and Cancellation Proceedings

For startup founders, navigating the complexities of trademark law is essential for protecting your brand. An important aspect of this process involves understanding opposition and cancellation proceedings.

Trademark Fundamentals: Selecting Goods and Services for New Applications

As a startup founder, you’re often faced with numerous decisions that impact the future of your business. One such decision is how to approach trademark applications.

Trademark Fundamentals: Use in Commerce

Startup founders looking to protect their brands need to understand the concept of “use in commerce” to successfully register their trademarks with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

Trademark Fundamentals: What Is a “Basis” for a Trademark Filing?

When applying to register a trademark, a critical component you will encounter is selecting a “basis” for the application.

Trademark Fundamentals: What Is a Specimen of Use?

As you dive into the world of trademarks to protect your brand, one element you will encounter during the registration process with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is the “specimen of use.”

Trademark Fundamentals: What Is a Trademark?

For startups venturing into competitive business landscapes, protecting your brand is not just an option—it’s a necessity. One of the most effective ways to protect the investment you make in building your brand identity is through effective trademark management.

Trademark Fundamentals: Who Owns a Trademark?

When launching a startup, it’s crucial to establish a strong brand identity, which often includes selecting a unique name, logo and other identifiers that distinguish your products or services in the marketplace.

Protecting IP During Joint Development Projects: Agree on More than Non-Disclosure

In these joint-development scenarios where the ultimate product requires the integration of multiple systems devised by two or more specialized businesses, the involved parties should understand the consequences of sharing information and how it can impact their planned project outcome.

Moonlighting: When Should I Quit My Day Job?

Most founders cannot afford to quit immediately upon conceiving an idea. Here are a few considerations to mitigate risks related to a founder’s relationship with their employer.

Steal My Idea, I Dare You: The Power of Protecting Your Intellectual Property

In the cutthroat arena of business, where ideas spark revolutions, the protection of intellectual property (IP) is not just a legal formality—it’s a survival strategy.

Are Your Patents Covered?

  • By
  • Pillsbury's Internet & Social Media Team
Too often, a company with a new, promising product is caught by surprise when a competitor asserts an infringement claim against it on the technology underlying the product.

Of Memes and Monetizing: Could the EU Directive on Copyright Change the Way We Speak Internet?

  • By
  • Kimberly Buffington
Do you like getting your news online, sharing videos or tweeting memes? A little piece of legislation known as The European Union Directive on Copyright in the Digital Single Market may signal the end of some of the internet’s simple pleasures.
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