Edited by Christopher P. Bussert and James R. Sims III
Published by American Bar Association Forum on Franchising and Section of Intellectual Property Law
KF 2979 .I4315 2016
Written for non-IP specialists, The Intellectual Property Handbook: A Practical Guide for Franchise, Business, and IP Counsel provides a substantive and practical overview of the most common intellectual property issues, including trademarks, copyrights, patents, trade secrets, cyber law, and social media issues. Besides describing the federal registration process, the authors explain basic trademark principles, everything from forms and types to the strength of the trademark and address the issues to consider when choosing a trademark. Equally important is the discussion of how to protect those rights and the types of legal actions to take to enforce those rights. In addition to highlighting domestic trademarks, the authors also cover domain names and trademarks on the Internet. Look for a discussion of the Anticybersquatting Consumer Protection Act and the Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy adopted by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers.
Interested in copyright? The authors devote an entire chapter to the topic and define subject matter that is copyrightable, detail the rights granted by copyright, navigate the waters of the registration process, and address the issue of infringement.
Looking for information on patents? The authors have got you covered there as well. They explain what a patent is and what can be patented and help you with the patent application process. The authors also offer some patent protection strategies and enforcement remedies.
The chapter on trade secrets is full of useful information, such as what a trade secret is, its definitional elements, the steps to be taken to protect the trade secret, and the remedies available should the trade secret be misappropriated.
Lastly, the authors discuss data privacy and security, cloud computing, and social media and the IP concerns that may arise during the use of social networking services, including issues relating to trademark, copyright, personal information, and employee information.