7/22/2005

USPTO Provides Small Business IP Resources

"While every IP-based business is vulnerable to piracy and counterfeiting, small businesses can be at a particular disadvantage because they lack the resources and expertise available to larger corporations.

Small businesses may also often lack the familiarity with the process of protecting intellectual property: research conducted in the spring of 2005 by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) indicates that only 15 percent of small businesses that do business overseas know that that a U.S. patent or trademark provides protection only in the United States.

It has never been more essential for you to consider patenting your idea or registering your name as a trademark, especially if you are a small business owner or are starting a small business.

The USPTO has created this Web site to help small businesses consider the benefits of strong IP protection - both in the United States and overseas - and decide whether it is right for them.

This site includes important information on whether and when to file for intellectual property protection, what type of protection to file for, where to file, and how to go about it."

Via this post from The Invent Blog | The Patent Blog of Stephen M. Nipper.