Introduction to Intellectual Property

Patents, Trademarks, and Copyrights along with trade secrets are often collectively referred to as "intellectual property."  They are called this because they create rights for their owner as a result of creative thinking.  Intellectual property can be thought of as your imagination being made into a concrete thing.  Intellectual Properties are valuable assets just like your home, or car.  Like your car or house need insurance to protect them, intellectual property needs to be protected from theft and misuse as well.  The place to start for getting a patent is the Patent Search. The place to start when trying to acquire a Trademark is the Trademark Search.