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When you think about everything that has been accomplished by mankind since we first appeared on this planet, it is really quite impressive to see the developments and advancements that have been achieved. From tribes to metropolitan societies, from the invention of the wheel to the continually evolving connectivity of smart phones, the brilliance and capabilities of the human mind are astonishing.
One of the most important factors of our development is the ability to collaborate and build on existing ideas. But in order to protect the intellectual property rights of those who put in the work, patent lawyers and trademark attorneys are vital assets.
Why patent attorney services are necessary
An intellectual property lawyer may be needed in a case that you feel your ideas are at risk of being stolen, or perhaps have been already. Patent attorney services help to protect your rights when you have worked hard to come up with an idea or product. A patent gives that idea a brand and protection from others attempting to take credit for it by trying to pass it off as their own. There are a few different types of intellectual property and ways to protect them.
- Understanding intellectual property rights
- Patent
A patent is the protection of an idea once it has materialized into a product. It does not give the inventor the right to sell, produce, or distribute, but it does attempt to protect the owner of the patent from others developing the same product. - Trademark
A trademark can be a symbol, logo, design, word or phrase that identifies a brand or company and helps to distinguish it from other products or services that are similar. -
Copyright
A copyright protects the work of an author, whether it is literature, artistic, dramatic, or musical. Copyright belongs to the author as soon as the work is created, and lasts for 70 years after the author’s death.
The growing need for patent attorney services
Patent attorney services are necessary now more than ever, and likely the demand will continue to grow. Back in 1915 and 1916, the United States Patent Office granted the equivalent of what would equal over 400 patents for each person in the United States. Fast forward to 2010 and 2011, and that number has jumped to more than 120,000 patents for each person every year. In fact The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Intellectual Property Center has determined that throughout the country, the total value of intellectual property is somewhere between $5 trillion and $5.5 million. Ideas and inventions are valuable, and as they make their way through the proper channels, giving credit to their rightful owners, we can still work together as contributing members of society to further develop our species.
Coming together to apply the right ideas
Just because people want to have their ideas and inventions protected does not mean the end of collaboration and forward progress. Ideas can be built upon, as long as the direct idea is not being pirated, and this process of sharing and building is how we have gotten to the place we are now. The automobile could not have been invented, at least in its current form, without the wheel having been invented first. There are genres of music that are the results of different cultures blending. Our smart phones would be different if the rotary phone, desktop computer, calculator, and even the light bulb, had not come first.
Humans are truly marvelous beings. The things that have happened and can happen when we use our brains result in huge impacts. We need to continue to work together to ensure that those impacts are positive, whether they are on each other, the earth, or the direction that we develop from here.
