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Contact
Gulf Coast IP
Telephone
214.764.9311
FAX
214.227.1016
Postal address
5450 Bruce B. Downs Blvd. Suite 355, Wesley Chapel, FL 33543
E-Mail:
info@gulfcoastip.com
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- Patents
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A patent is the grant of a property right from the government
to the inventor. A patent provides its owner the right to exclude
others from making, using, importing, offering for sale, or selling
the invention throughout the United States. Once the patent expires,
the invention enters the public domain and can be made, used or sold
by anyone. Only the inventor can apply for and receive a patent for an
invention and only the inventor or the inventor's registered patent
attorney or agent may prosecute a patent before the United States
Patent and Trademark Office.
Patents are granted for new, useful and non-obvious inventions for a period
of 20 years from the filing date of a patent application, and provide the
right to exclude others from exploiting the invention during that period.
The Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) streamlines the process for U.S.
businesses wishing to obtain patent protection in other countries.
By filing one international patent application, an inventor can seek
protection in up to 126 countries
- Copyrights
Copyright protects original works of authorship, including literary,
dramatic, musical, artistic and certain other works, both published and
unpublished. In the United States, the U.S. Copyright Office handles
copyright registration that, although not required for protection, does confer
advantages.
Trade
Secrets provide protection against the misappropriation of undisclosed
information which has economic value and which the owner has taken reasonable
steps to protect from disclosure. In
the United States trade secrets are protected under state law.
- Trademarks
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Trademarks are used to identify and distinguish the source of
goods or services, and may be a word, name, symbol or other device
that serves this purpose. In
most countries, registration is required to obtain protection.
The Madrid Protocol is an international agreement that
facilitates obtaining trademark overseas.
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