You can keep your Intellectual Property safe by using four means. They are patents, trademarks, copyrights, industrial design rights or trade secrets. Intellectual-Property law provides the owners with an exclusive right over various elusive assets such as musical, ideas, words, phrases etc.
A copyright law is provided on the creative work such as music, books, software, etc which gives the creator the full right on it and prevents the work to be duplicated. Once a thing or an invention is patented then you do not have a right to reinvent that thing without a license only a patent holder has as right to modify or recreate that invention. You can see a distinct sign for each branded product no two products in the market have been seen to have a same sign the sign is known as a trademark of that company. By looking at the trademark you can name the company as each company has its distinct trademark. An industrial design right prevent the design to be copied. A trade secret is mainly concerned with the commercial area.
Intellectual property lawyers provide counseling with respect to issues related to intellectual property rights. They are required to safeguard the intellectual property rights of people who visit them.
These lawyers need to be aware of laws related to identity theft, copyright or patent infringements and trademarks. With their legal expertise, they listen to their clients' case and come up with the best solution to tackle the situation.
Intellectual property lawyers are aware about new developments in several scientific and technical areas. They do all the paperwork for their clients like drafting applications, making agreements, and other legal documents.
There are some intellectual property lawyers who work as a scientist or engineer. The lawyer must have sound technical knowhow to understand the technical inventions of their clients. Intellectual property lawyers are also required to act as an advocate for their clients. One can specialize in commercial intellectual property, Individual intellectual property, Web Hosting / Development Agreements, Licensing of Intellectual Property, Research Collaborations, Copyright Law, Patent Law, Trademark Law, and Identity Theft (criminal law).
Being an intellectual property lawyer, one needs to meet new clients and stay in touch with colleagues and clients. Clients can include small businesses as well as large corporations. Intellectual property lawyers also attend association meetings and legal education seminars.
To be an intellectual property lawyer one needs to have an undergraduate degree and three years of law school. Passing a state bar examination is also important. Various intellectual property courses include commercial intellectual property, digital rights management, international law, databases, the law, and many more. An intellectual property lawyer must have good communication skills, research skills, and attention to detail. Computer proficiency is also required.
Most Intellectual property lawyers work for corporations, government agencies, universities, and research institutions where they need protection for their software, art, or computer issues. Many IP lawyers work for private firms that specialize in intellectual property law. The average salary of an intellectual property lawyer is about $181,000.
Intellectual property lawyers have a community of their own. The American Bar Association (ABA) and many state and local bar associations have committees exclusively for intellectual property law. The American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA) is focused exclusively on the field of intellectual property law.
- See Top 10 Reasons Most Law Firms Have No Idea How to Hire and Evaluate Patent Attorneys for more information.
