COPYRIGHTS AND PATENTS |
|
|
Datamatrix – Copyrights and PatentsSuite 1202 COPYRIGHTS AND PATENTS General Information Valuing Intellectual Property Please note that the information provided herein is not intended to be absolute. It is a compilation of information which has been harmonized to adhere to the foundation of principles as put forth by The UN, the United States and the Commonwealth so it is important that you should check current details with your particular government. 1202.01 GENERAL INFORMATION Copyright and patent laws protect your ideas from being exploited by a rival business. They also prevent someone using your ‘intellectual property' without your permission. If you have invented a real money-spinner which could be developed into a product, you might want to apply for a patent. If you do, you will find it very complicated procedure. We strongly recommend you talk to a patent agent. The Chartered Institute of Patent Agents or the Patent Office will be able to help you. Remember, even if you have a patent, there could be a long and expensive legal battle trying to stop other people using it. Another legal protection is ‘copyright'. Copyright is the creator's or legal owner's rights in creative work like paintings, writings, photographs, advertising artwork, video tapes and TV commercials, even when these are made for a client. Remember this if you are using artwork or creative work of some sort. Unlike patent protection, copyright happens automatically. When you have decided on a name for your new firm or product, or you have designed a logo, you can apply for the trademark to be registered. This will give you greater legal protection. The Institute of Trade Mark Agents and Trademarks Registry can help you. 1202.02 VALUING INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY Transfers can occur for many reasons. For example, a company may realize certain tax benefits by transferring intellectual property into a holding company. In other instances, commercializing a new technology may involve the transfer of intellectual property to a joint venture. Moreover, negotiating licensing and royalty agreements are also circumstances where valuing intellectual property may become an issue. Whatever the case, creating a reliable technique for establishing the value of intellectual property requires a combination of specialized skills. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA United States Copyright Office: http://www.copyright.gov/ THE UNITED KINGDOM United Kingdom Copyright Office: http://www.patent.gov.uk/copy/index.htm CANADA Listings and links to all sections Of the Canadian Government: http://www.canada.gc.ca/depts/major/depind_e.html The following link will provide the individual information on each Province in Canada . http://www.bsa.cbsc.org/gol/bsa/interface.nsf/vSSGBasic/su10000e.htm IRELAND The Government of Ireland Official Gateway http://www.irlgov.ie/ Irish local government Council websites: http://www.oultood.com/localgov/eire.htm AUSTRALIA Australian Commonwealth Government Gateway http://www.australia.gov.au/ General Information http://gov.info.au/ Federal, State and Local Government http://www.nia.gov.au/oz/gov/ NEW ZEALAND The Government of New Zealand Gateway http://www.govt.nz/ The E-Government site for New Zealand http://www.e.govt.nz/ Note: Although this site is a compilation of information from various countries we would like to particularly acknowledge the support of the United Nations, FirstGov of the United States Government and Business Link of the United Kingdom for the use of their text which is provided by permission and protected by their individual copyrights. A more complete list of acknowledgements with their official links can be accessed in this site through: Acknowledgements
|