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Engineering: Patent and Trademark

Patent Search - If you intend to make, use, or sell an invention of yours, you should find out whether someone else has created something like it already.

A patent for an invention is a grant of property rights by the U.S. Government through the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. The patent grant excludes others from making, using, or selling the invention in the United States.

Trademarks: Trademarks apply to words, symbols, or devices used in trade to indicate the source of the goods or services.

"Trademarks, copyrights, and patents protect different types of intellectual property.

  • A trademark typically protects brand names and logos used on goods and services.
  • A copyright protects an original artistic or literary work.
  • A patent protects an invention.

For example, if you invent a new kind of vacuum cleaner, you would apply for a patent to protect the invention itself. You would apply to register a trademark to protect the brand name of the vacuum cleaner. And you might register a copyright for the TV commercial that you use to market the product."

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