What You Need To Know
About Intellectual Property
Rights
Benefits Advisory Network (BAN)
February 6, 2006
www.klng.com
Four General Areas of Intellectual
Property Protection
A. Patent
1. Right to exclude others from making,
using, offering from sale, selling,
importing
2. Utility/Process
3. Design
4. New, non-obvious (inventive step),
useful (capable of industrial application)
5. 20 years from application
6. Application Process/Cost
B. Copyrights
1. Expression: artistic, literary, graphic,
music, compilations of data
2. Exclusive rights - reproduction, distribution,
rental
3. Life + 70; 95/120; 95 (Pre- 1978)
4. Ownership/Works Made For Hire
5. Limiting Doctrines
6. Registration Process/Cost
C. Trademarks
1. Broad definition
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
A. Identifier
B. Trade Name
C. Non-Traditional
Products or services
Distinctiveness/Secondary meaning
Likelihood of Confusion
Indefinite renewals
Ownership
Registration/Common
Law/Cost
D. Trade Secrets
1. Commercial value, not known,
reasonable efforts to keep confidential
2. Formulas, source code, business and
financial data, client lists
3. Non-disclosure agreements
4. Ownership
E. Databases (The Next Frontier?)
Contact Information
David J. Byer, Partner
617.261.3114
dbyer@klng.com
Peter J. Marathas, Jr., Partner
617.951.9072
pmarathas@klng.com
Kirkpatrick & Lockhart Nicholson Graham LLP
75 State Street
Boston, MA 02109