Business Resources
Patents and Trademarks
A patent for an invention is the grant right to the inventor, issued by the Patent and Trademark Office. The term of a new patent is 20 years from the date on which the application for the patent was filed in the United States or, in special cases, from the date an earlier application was filed, subject to the payment of maintenance fees.
U.S. patent grants are effective only within the United States territories, and U.S. possessions. A trademark is a word, name, symbol, or device, which is used in trade with goods to indicate the source of the goods and to distinguish them from the goods of others. A servicemark is the same as a trademark except that it identifies and distinguishes the source of a service rather than a product. The terms "trademark" and "mark" are commonly used to refer to both trademarks and servicemarks.
Check these sites to learn how to patent your invention or copyright your ideas, prices, procedures, etc.
United States Patent and Trademark Office
This Web site has a wealth of information about patents and trademarks, as well as a searchable database of those already registered.
Patent Searches
With a free subscription, you can perform patent searches online.
Marketing Plan for the Independent Inventor
This tutorial on writing a marketing plan covers topics such as understanding the purpose of a marketing plan, identify strategies for conducting market research, target markets, competition, pricing, promotional, and advertising.
Inventors on About.com
This Website is devoted to inventors and their needs.