Patent, Trademark, Copyright Law Basics for Creative People

Name: Patent, Trademark, Copyright Law Basics for Creative People
Rating: 4.5 (65 reviews)

How authors, artists, entrepreneurs and inventors can protect their creative work

Created byDennis Green

Last updated 11/2018

English

What you'll learn

Be able to protect your creative work using patents, trademarks and copyrights---with or without needing a lawyer

Course content

4 sections • 27 lectures • 2h 33m total length

Introduction to the Course4:00
How to protect your creative property will give you a strong grasp of how to use Patents, Trademarks and Copyrights to protect such work as: your invention, brand name, artwork, literary work, computer code, photography, packaging, sculpture and film. It will show you how to navigate the United States Patent and Trademark Office Website and help you communicate with an Intellectual Property Attorney if you need one to file your applications for registration.
What is Intellectual Property?4:58
This lecture stresses why you need to be sure your creative work is marketable before you spend money applying for Patent, Trademark of Copyright or consult an attorney or fill your garage with inventory. It also explains generally what to do if you feel someone has infringed on your intellectual property rights.
What You Will Specifically Learn in this Course2:48
A detailed description of what you will learn in each of the three sections in this course: Patents, Trademarks and Copyrights

What is a Patent?3:26
Learn how a patent gives you a form of monopoly and prevents others from competing with you.
What Can be Patented and What Cannot2:35
Why your invention must be novel, nonobvious and useful to be granted a Utility Patent, and how to be sure it fits that criteria before wasting your money on patent lawyers and patent applications.
How a Simple Provisional Application Can Protect Your Invention for 12 months7:58
Learn the difference between Provisional and Non-Provisional Patent Applications and how to apply for them.
What it Costs to File for a Patent3:03
You will learn about application filing fees, patent search fees, examination fees, issue fees and maintenance fees and what is called a "micro entity status" that will save you money on fees if you qualify.
Why You Need to do a Patent Search Before Applying4:24
How and why to search for "prior art" to see if someone has already patented your idea or even mentioned it publicly and the one exception that's okay.
How Design Patents Protect Your Product's Appearance4:17
Design patents protect the way a product looks, how narrow that protection is, and why it still can be valuable.
Beware of Patent Promotion Scams4:42
Con men love inventors. How to spot a scammer and keep them from stealing your blind and giving you nothing by promises.

What Qualifies as a Trademark10:20
You'll learn what can be used as a trademark and the difference between a Common Law Trademark and a Federally Registered Mark.
Fanciful, Arbitrary and Suggestive Trademarks7:35
In this lesson you’ll learn about the qualities that make a trademark distinctive.
Descriptive and Generic Trademarks7:41
See why descriptive and Generic marks are not distinctive enough to become listed on the Principal Register of the United States Patent and Trademark office.
The Power of Trade Dress10:37
Learn how "Trade Dress" protects the elements you use to promote your product or service.
Trademark Classifications5:05
When filing a trademark application, you must know which class or classes of goods or services you want to cover.
Exotic Trademarks7:40
This explores unconventional trademarks including unique shapes, ornamental design, appearance, sound, color and even how scent can be used to set your product apart.
Trademark Solicitation Scams7:28
This lesson is about the phony scams that disreputable companies will send you once your trademark application becomes part of the official record
Why it's a Good Idea to Use a Lawyer to Apply for Your Trademark.11:32
Seven reason why using a lawyer to file your trademark applications, and the common costly mistakes people make when filling out their applications.

Introduction to Copyright2:05
You’ll learn what copyright issues are covered in this section
What is Protected by Copyright3:40
Learn what it means that creative works must be original and "fixed" in a tangible form of expression.
What Is Not Protected by Copyright7:43
Learn that copyright protection does not extend to any idea, list, procedure and much more.
How to Navigate the Copyright Office Website6:28
In this lesson, we’ll look at the Copyright Office website so you can find the information you need to answer questions beyond the bounds of this course.
The Copyright Office Circulars and Why They are Useful8:47
Get answers to frequently asked copyright questions and what are called "Circulars" and why they are so useful.
How to Register a Copyright Online6:33
You can register your copyright application by snail mail or online. This lesson shows how to register online.
How to Register a Copyright Using Paper Forms2:00
Learn how to fill out the paper forms and see how they are different from online forms.
More About Fair Use: How Someone Can Use Your Work Without Your Permission3:39
More about "Fair Use" and why it's possible for someone to use your creative work without your permission.
More About Creative Work "Made for Hire" and Why You Need to Treat it Seriously2:47
"Made for Hire Agreements" and when to use them to protect your work.

Requirements

No knowledge of copyrights, patents or trademarks is required

Description

This course is meant for anyone who wants to protect their intellectual property in the USA, no matter what country you may live in.

Every creative person is a target to have their work stolen and used by unscrupulous people and companies. In the Entrepreneur's Guide to Protecting Your Creative Work, you will get the tools to stop thieves from using your work without your authorization. You'll learn how to apply for patents, trademarks and copyrights without using an attorney, and how to communicate with an attorney if you do want to use one to help you get protection.

Mary Lou and I have invented 50 different consumer products for our own company. We've earned ten patents, dozens of registered trademarks and hundreds of copyrights over the past 40 years. We filed our own intellectual property applications at times, and we also worked closely with a legal team to file our applications. We also used an attorney to argue our cases with patent and trademark examiners when necessary. We even won a jury verdict in a major trademark lawsuit in Federal District Court in Denver, Colorado. We tell you this because we want you to feel confident we understand intellectual property from our entrepreneur's and artist's perspective.

Who this course is for:

Inventors, entrepreneurs, artists, graphic designers, authors or any other creative person

Patent, Trademark, Copyright Law Basics for Creative People

What you'll learn

Explore related topics

Course content

Introduction to How to Protect Your Creative Work3 lectures • 12min

The Basics of Patents7 lectures • 30min

Trademark Protection8 lectures • 1hr 8min

Copyright Protection9 lectures • 44min

Requirements

Description

Who this course is for: