One example of trademarking names is in the professional wrestling industry. Many wrestlers do not use their birth names when becoming pro wrestlers, and those in charge in the creative field will give the wrestler a name that is appealing and eye catching. If the wrestler becomes successful, the company will trademark that name so only their company can use it for merchandise sales like video game production. Even if that wrestler leaves the company, that wrestler cannot use the name given to them by that particular company if it has been trademarked. This is so that the wrestler cannot profit off the name outside the company. These laws will prohibit them from receiving any royalties. If the wrestler used their own wrestling name before entering a major wrestling coalition, it is their own responsibility to trademark that name in order to keep it if they do leave the company in the future.
IP rights are essential to an artist because they are the ones who have put the time and dedication into their music, writings, or artistic designs. Those individuals who create new inventions typically will have their idea patented to ensure they own the rights to their invention. Another example is the American inventor Thomas Edison, who patented over 1000 inventions in his career. One invention Thomas Edison patented was particularly important: the light bulb.
Legal training for lawyers depends on which specific area of law they enter. Many lawyers complete all their schooling and education within seven years. Prospective attorneys must take the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) to even apply to law school. To be able to take the bar exam students must graduate from an accredited law school and then pass the bar exam given by the American Bar Association (ABA). All attorneys must pass the bar exam in the state in which they are going to practice law. There is no standardized bar exam, so each state's test will be somewhat different.
Growth for intellectual property attorneys is expected to remain on the increase over the next decade. Businesses will continue to grow and merge and will need intellectual property attorneys to protect their exclusive rights. There is an extremely high number of attorneys in law school and competition for jobs will be great. During economic down periods the need for attorneys will decrease, because paying an attorney can become rather pricey for individuals. Since legal cases are time consuming and costly, attorneys may find themselves with fewer job opportunities in an economic slump.
There are currently just over 760,000 lawyers in the United States, and over the next decade that number is expected to rise to nearly 845,000. Those attorneys who work for larger companies can make nearly $130,000 per year. The average attorney who graduated within the year can earn $60,000 per year. Lawyers often work many hours researching and gathering all the information to help them present their client in the best way possible. Lawyers bill for the number of hours worked, so the price could be rather steep depending on how complicated the case is.
Intellectual property attorneys are important to protect those who need their services. The majority of people who are interested in copyrighting and patenting their inventions should contact lawyers who know the various laws in different states and different countries. In short, people want the credit for what they have accomplished, whether it be authoring poems or novels, taking photographs, drawing pictures, or anything else a person can create artistically. Intellectual property attorneys might not be the most-liked people in the world, but they are needed to protect the rights of creators.
- See Top 10 Reasons Most Law Firms Have No Idea How to Hire and Evaluate Patent Attorneys for more information.
