Chapter 1

Patent Basics

Read chapter 1 in the book

Summary

Before reading this section, please watch the overview video below covering the usefulness of patents - how ironic that a system for granting exclusive rights to inventors is the greatest vehicle for knowledge-sharing… A patent is an intellectual property right granted by the government of a nation to an inventor that gives them the exclusive right to the invention for up to 20 years, in exchange for disclosing the details of the new… In the United States, a patent is a legal instrument in the form of a document issued by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Patent is only recognized domestically, and cannot be enforced in another country

Key terms

patent

an intellectual property right granted by the government of a nation to an inventor that gives them the exclusive right to the invention for up to 20 years, in exchange f

Chapter 2

Patent Enforcement

Read chapter 2 in the book

Summary

Understand the basic rights of patent owners Patents issued by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) can be enforced by their owners in U.S. The USPTO is responsible only for examining and issuing patents—it does not enforce them. A patent owner is called the “patentee.” The patentee has the statutory right to exclude others from making, using, offering for sale, selling, or importing the invention covered by the patent throughout the United…

Key terms

patent owner

called the “patentee.” The patentee has the statutory right to exclude others from making, using, offering for sale, selling, or importing the invention covered by the pa

USPTO

responsible only for examining and issuing patents—it does not enforce them

Chapter 3

Copyright Basics

Read chapter 3 in the book

Summary

In the United States, the legal foundation for copyright is set forth, along with that for patents, in Article 1, Section 8, Clause 8 of the U.S. Understand the theoretical and legal underpinnings of copyright Appreciate the important differences between copyrights and patents A copyright is an intellectual property right granted by a government to the author of an original literary, dramatic, musical, artistic, or other eligible creative work that gives them the exclusive right to control…

Key terms

copyright

an intellectual property right granted by a government to the author of an original literary, dramatic, musical, artistic, or other eligible creative work that gives them

legal foundation for copyright

set forth, along with that for patents, in Article 1, Section 8, Clause 8 of the U.S

Chapter 4

Trademark Basics

Read chapter 4 in the book

Summary

Understand trademarks and their properties A trademark is an intellectual property right granted by a government to an individual, business, or legal entity that creates and uses a distinctive word, name, symbol, or device to distinguish its products or… The original purpose of a trademark was to indicate the origin of goods and services. Trademarks thus protected the public by preventing mistakes, confusion, or deception by those who would “palm off” their goods as those of another.

Key terms

trademark

an intellectual property right granted by a government to an individual, business, or legal entity that creates and uses a distinctive word, name, symbol, or device to di

Chapter 5

Trade Secret Basics

Read chapter 5 in the book

Summary

After completing this section, you will be able to Trade secret law is a source of protection for intellectual property that serves as an alternative to patent or trademark law. Whereas patent and trademark law require that the intellectual property to be protected be publicly “disclosed” (for example, through a patent application), trade secret law requires precisely the opposite—that is… The subject matter of a trade secret may be virtually any information that is of value as a result of not being generally known