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Copyright10 Big Myths about Copyright Explained An attempt to answer common myths about copyright seen on the net and cover issues related to copyright and USENET/Internet publication by Brad Templeton Note that this is an essay about copyright myths. It assumes you know at least what copyright is—basically the legal exclusive right of the author of a creative work to control the copying of that work. If you didn't know that, check out the author's brief introduction to copyright for more information. An excellent collection of searchable information assembled by the Stanford University Library. Copyright: Nolo Legal Encyclopedia The founding fathers recognized that everyone would benefit if creative people were encouraged to create new intellectual and artistic works. When the United States Constitution was written in 1787, the framers took care to include a copyright clause (Article I, Section 8) giving Congress the power to "promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts" by passing laws that give creative artists (called "Authors" in the Constitution) the exclusive right to their own artistic works for a limited period of time. 
A major resource compiled by the Yale University Library from diverse sources. Of special interest is the included Annotated List of Non-University Intellectual Property Resources. "This site endeavors to provide real world, practical and relevant copyright information of interest to infonauts, netsurfers, webspinners, content providers, musicians, appropriationists, activists, infringers, outlaws, and law abiding citizens." This wellidone resource from an intellectual property attorney discusses fair use and public domain,famous copyright infringement cases, and the basics of the law and registration. Also has current news and a discussion group. U.S. Patent & Trademark Office The official copyright web site, with a wealth of useful information and links.
Downloadable Document Viewers & PlugInsMany Trademark and Patent Records have embedded images which require downloading a special viewer plug-in for your web browser. The U.S. Patent Office has an excellent page describing document formats you may encounter, and links to these downloadable viewers. Patent ResourcesFindLaw: Patents & Intellectual Property Provides legal background on patents, with information in the form of law documents, briefs and articles. Click on FindLaw Library: Intellectual Property to access a wide selection of articles and other materials. General Information Concerning Patents The U.S. Patent & Trademark Office puts its expertise online in this excellent site. Contents range from "Who may apply for a patent?" to "The nature of patents and patent rights." A good introduction to the process of researching, applying for and obtaining a patent. Independent Inventor Resources This site provides support to the independent inventor. Put up by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office, the site looks at questions such as "How do I finance and/or market my invention?" and "Where do I find local assistance?"
Index to the Manual of Classification of Patents Comprised of 400 plus classes, this index enables searchers to determine the class of an idea by keyword searching. The Lemelson-MIT Prize Program's Handbook for Inventors An online handbook with helpful information for the independent inventor. An online version of Title 35 (Patents) of the U. S. Code, put up by the Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School.
Searching PatentsAn extremely comprehensive source of patent information, searchable by patent number, assignee, inventor, abstract, title, or IPC class. Includes patent data from the top six databases in the world—the U.S., European, WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organization), Japanese, INPADOC (International Patent Documentation) and Derwen World Patent Index Collections. Click on "FAQ" at the very bottom of the page for general information and search instructions. U.S. Patent Web Database: Patent Full-Text and Full-Page Image Databases This source contains full-text documents published by the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Allows searching of Utility Patents, Reissue Patents, Defensive Publications, and Statutory Invention Registrations from 1971 to present. Also covers Design and Plant Patents from December 1976. Click on the "help" button for search instructions. This database provides access to more than 75 years of patent descriptions and images (more than 1,900,000 Canadian patent documents). Use the "Guided Tour" to learn how to search.
Trademark ResourcesAn annotated guide to trademark sites organized into categories including General Trademark Information, U.S. and International Trademark Law, Trademarks In Cyberspace, and more. An online pamphlet from the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office. Provides a general overview of trademarks, the registration process, and trademark services. Includes a link to the Trademark/Service Mark Application Form. International Trademark Classes A listing of the international trademark classes with full goods/services descriptions.
Trademark ResourcesInformation from the International Trademark Association on topics ranging from trademark clearance and licensing to trademark infringement and statutory redress in the United States. Access to various trademark forms in Adobe PDF format Trademarks & Business Goodwill An excellent discussion of trademarks by Thomas G. Field, Jr., a professor at the Franklin Pierce Law Center. He looks at what trademarks are, why they are important, and how to choose a good mark.
Searching TrademarksU.S. Trademark Electronic Search System Search more than 3 million pending, registered, and dead Federal trademarks. Provides access to all active and many inactive marks that were either applied for or registered pursuant to the current Canadian Trade-marks Act or former trade-mark legislation. Also includes all trade-marks which were canceled, expunged, abandoned or refused after 1979, and some, but not all marks which were canceled, expunged, abandoned or refused prior to 1979.
Last modified on Thursday, 13-Mar-2008 12:47:42 EDT |
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