A Short Summary Of Intellectual Property

AuthorJoseph P. Kennedy/Wayne H. Watkins/Elyse N. Ball (With)
ProfessionDistinguished Professor of Polymer Science and Chemistry at The University of Akron/Associate Vice President for Research at The University of Akron/Project Manager for the University of Akron Research Foundation
Pages20-25
CHAPTER 4
A SHORT SUMMARY OF
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
Intellectual property encompasses a wide variety of intangible creations, in-
cluding scientific inventions, chemical compounds, software, musical compo-
sitions, literature, architectural designs, commercial logos, company names,
images, and even secrets. Unlike tangible goods that can be physically pos-
sessed, intellectual property owners have no physical means of preventing
others from using their creations or to capture the monetary value of their
work. Intellectual property protection was created to encourage individuals
and organizations to create, invent, and developby giving them the legal right
to prevent others from using their work for a limited period of time, thus
creating an economic incentive for research and development. Each country
has its own intellectual property system. Though most countries’ systems
are similar to that of the United States, each country has specific rules and
requirements, including separate filings to protect intellectual property rights
in their jurisdiction. (These matters are discussed in Chapter 12).
The global community recognizes four major types of intellectual property:
patents, trade secrets, copyrights, and trademarks.
How to Invent and Protect Your Invention: A Guide to Patents for Scientists and Engineers,
First Edition. Joseph P. Kennedy and Wayne H. Watkins with Elyse N. Ball.
© 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Published 2012 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
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