When a product or idea is developed there is usually a rush for a copyright, patent, or trademark to make sure no one else will get something similar to market first. The laws that have established such things are there to protect inventors, designers, and other creators of intellectual property. Today there is a ton of information available to anyone with an Internet connection on intellectual property law. Here are some of the best sites online that cover these important protections.

Copyrights

• Copyright Kids! — an excellent page all about copyrights that is designed for children.

• Database of International Copyright Law — a handy source for understanding international copyright law from Columbia University Libraries

• General Counsel Copyright Law — a brief overview of copyright law and related issues from the University of Wisconsin

• Stanford Copyright & Fair Use Center — a great resource on copyright law from Stanford University

• U.S. Copyright Office — information on U.S. copyright laws and guidance on filing for a copyright from the official copyright office of the U.S. government

Trademarks

• International Trademark Association — homepage for an international group dedicated to protecting trademark holders

• The Madrid System — all about the global system of law developed to help regulate international trademarks

• Overview of Trademark Law — Harvard University page that provides a good introduction to trademark law

• Trademark Definition and Resources — all about trademarks from the law school of Cornell University

• USPTO Trademarks Home — the official homepage for trademarks from the United States Patent and Trademark Office

Patents

• Association of Patent Law Firms — homepage for an professional association of patent law firms

• Patent Law International — excellent site with a ton of information and links related to international patent law

• Patent Law Links — a whole host of links to patent-related information in journals, case law, and more

• Patent Lens — a good site allowing users to look up patents from nearly every country in the world

• USPTO: Patents — homepage for patents from the official United States Patent and Trademark Office

Industrial Design Rights

• About Industrial Designs — page from the European Space Agency explaining industrial design ideas and their unique need for protection

• Industrial Designers Society of America — a professional association of industrial designers has created this page devoted to design rights and other subjects

• Industrial Design Subject Guide — all manner of resources on industrial design rights from the Academy of Art University Library

• International Council of Societies of Industrial Design — professional association of the societies of industrial design that exist across the globe

• WTO: Registering an Industrial Design — page explaining what can and cannot be registered as an industrial design from the World Trade Organization

Trade Secrets

• Keeping Trade Secrets Secret — article on how trade secrets may be kept confidential from MIT

• Leadership Laboratory: Trade Secrets — defines trade secrets and discusses issues, legal and otherwise that are related to these secrets

• Proprietary Information & Trade Secrets — explains the Economic Espionage Act of 1996 and looks at other trade secret-related topics

• Protect Trade Secrets — journal article on how employers can protect their trade secrets from being spread by former employees

• Webguru: Trade Secrets — an introduction to the topic of trade secrets developed for undergraduate students

("Legal information found on this page does not constitute legal advice.")