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Inventor Home $ |  |
Fundamentals
This page primarily links just to some basic information pages about intellectual property that cover the fundamentals. Many of the links are the same as links from other pages on this site which contain more concentrated bunches of links, including more advanced ones, on specific topics. It is strongly recommended you read through the pages or sites listed here BEFORE you start spending money. Many a beginning inventor's first reaction is to spend money on a patent----exactly the opposite of what experienced, successful inventors do. I know inventors with over 50 years of successful inventing who have never gotten a single patent. A patent will be valuable only if it can be used to protect a profit stream. Less than 2% of all patents have ever been able to do that.
NOTICE: some of the links here are to web sites of mine, one where you can even place an order for a book containing several times the info you will find in just the basic pages provided.
Patents
What rights do you have to your idea? www.idearights.com $ (read entire site)
Ideas vs. Inventions www.tenonline.org/art/9010.html (there are many, many articles worth reading at this site)
What do you need to do to be sure you are actually the inventor of something commercializable? www.willitsell.com/goshopng.asp $ (read entire site)
What does the law assume you KNOW when you put on a businessperson hat? www.inventorhome.com/iagree.asp $ (hopefully you read this one before you got to this page)
What 10 questions should you ask for in writing from anyone who wants to assist you in going from idea-to-profits---at your expense? (HTML version)
General Information Concerning Patents www.uspto.gov/web/offices/com/iip/pdf/brochure_03.pdf (WARNING: this document occasionally goes out of date, it is not "the last word" on current law or rules)
Provisional Application for Patent www.uspto.gov/web/offices/pac/provapp.htm (WARNING: a PAP application does not "get" you anything, there is no such thing as a "Provisional Patent")
Trademark
Basic facts about trademarks www.uspto.gov/web/offices/tac/doc/basic/ (click/read/Back, click/read/Back, tedious but worth it)
Copyright
Basic facts about Copyrights www.copyright.gov/circs/circ1.html (scroll down it and read the whole thing)
Evaluation
Venturing
Licensing
Neustel-Zimmer Approach To Successful Inventing $
Hopefully a bit more soon, especially on trademarks and copyright.