Table of Contents
Introduction 1
Part I: Corralling Your IP Assets: Intellectual Property Basics 7
Chapter 1: Marshalling Your IP Tools 9
Chapter 2: Fencing in the Herd 19
Chapter 3: Calling in the Cavalry and Picking Up the Tab 29
Chapter 4: Trade Secrets: Often-Overlooked IP Tools 41
Part II: Going for the Gold: Patenting Your Product 49
Chapter 5: Understanding Patents and How They Work 51
Chapter 6: Testing the Patent Water Before You Dive in 63
Chapter 7: Hoping It Ain’t There: The Patent Search 75
Chapter 8: Preparing Your Patent Application 89
Chapter 9: Filing Your Patent Application 109
Chapter 10: Wrestling with the Patent Examiner 123
Chapter 11: Reeling in the Prize: Getting Your Patent Issued 151
Part III: Asserting Your Copyrights 167
Chapter 12: If It’s Got Style, You’ve Got Copyrights 169
Chapter 13: Untangling Ownership Issues 187
Chapter 14: Giving Your Copyright Fangs 197
Part IV: Protecting Your Commercial Identity 217
Chapter 15: Flashing Your Badge 219
Chapter 16: Coining the Next Household Name 233
Chapter 17: Searching for Name Availability 245
Chapter 18: Establishing and Registering Your Commercial Identifier 259
Part V: Making Your IP Rights Work for You 283
Chapter 19: All Abroad: Protecting Your IP Rights in Other Countries 285
Chapter 20: Making ’Em Pay: Licensing Your IP Rights 303
Chapter 21: Catching Them Rustlers (Infringers) 317
Part VI: The Part of Tens 327
Chapter 22: Ten Most Common IP Misconceptions 329
Chapter 23: Ten Patent Application Pitfalls 333
Chapter 24: Ten Practical Copyright FAQs 337
Chapter 25: The Ten Worst Naming Blunders 341
Appendix: How to Use the CD-ROM 345
Index 351