Ch1. Overview of Industrial Property Rights — Patents, Trademarks & Designs

Intellectual Property Framework

IP Classification (US):
Industrial Property: Patents · Utility Models · Trademarks · Design Patents
Copyright: Literary, artistic, musical, and software works (17 USC)
Trade Secrets: Confidential business information (Defend Trade Secrets Act)

Industrial Property Characteristics:
Registration/grant required (rights do NOT arise automatically at creation)
Administered by: USPTO (United States Patent and Trademark Office)
Substantive examination before grant (except utility models in some systems)

Copyright Characteristics:
No registration required — rights arise at creation (17 USC § 102)
Administered by: Copyright Office (Library of Congress)
Economic rights + moral rights (moral rights limited under US law)

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The Four Industrial Property Rights — Comparison

┌──────────────┬────────────────┬─────────────┬────────────────┬──────────────┐
│ Category     │ Utility Patent │Utility Model│   Trademark    │Design Patent │
├──────────────┼────────────────┼─────────────┼────────────────┼──────────────┤
│ Protects     │Inventions incl.│ Articles    │ Mark/Symbol    │ Ornamental   │
│              │ methods        │ only        │                │ appearance   │
│ Term         │20 yrs filing   │10 yrs filing│10 yrs+renewals │15 yrs grant  │
│ Examination  │ Substantive    │ Formal only │ Substantive    │ Substantive  │
│ Publication  │18 mo. filing   │After regist.│After allowance │ On grant     │
└──────────────┴────────────────┴─────────────┴────────────────┴──────────────┘

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Foundational Principles of Patent Law

Purpose of the Patent System (35 USC § 101; Constitution Art. I § 8 cl. 8):
Promote the progress of useful arts
Encourage disclosure of inventions in exchange for a limited exclusive right
Technology enters the public domain after the patent expires

Disclosure-for-Exclusivity Bargain:
Inventor publicly discloses the invention in the patent specification
In exchange: 20-year exclusive right to practice the invention
After expiration: anyone may freely use the disclosed technology

First-Inventor-to-File (AIA, effective March 16, 2013):
When two inventors independently make the same invention,
the one who files first at the USPTO wins
(US previously used first-to-invent; AIA aligned the US with global practice)

Territoriality Principle:
A US patent is enforceable only in the US
Foreign protection requires separate filings (Paris Convention, PCT)

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Key Concept Cards

Four IP Categories = Patent · Utility Model · Trademark · Design ★★★★★ : Know each category’s subject matter, term, and examination type. Memory hook: invent · improve · brand · look

Patent = 20 Yrs from Filing; Trademark = 10 Yrs + Renewal ★★★★★ : The most-tested term distinction in IP law. Memory hook: Patent=20filing, Trademark=10×∞

Patent = Disclosure for Exclusivity ★★★★☆ : Public disclosure of the invention → 20-year monopoly. Memory hook: disclose = monopoly

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Practice Questions

Q. Trade secret vs. patent — which provides stronger protection?

If the technology can be reverse-engineered from a product, trade secret protection breaks down once a competitor analyzes the product — a patent is better. If the technology is inherently non-discernible and can be kept confidential indefinitely, trade secret protection may be superior (no expiration, no disclosure obligation). Classic example: the Coca-Cola formula is protected as a trade secret, never patented. After a patent expires, competitors can freely use the disclosed technology. Key tradeoff: patent requires disclosure; trade secret requires secrecy.

Q. Under first-inventor-to-file, what should an inventor do immediately?

File as soon as the invention is reduced to practice (or even as a conception with a utility patent filing). Delay creates risk — a second independent inventor who files earlier will prevail. The AIA grace period (12 months) allows the inventor’s own prior disclosures to be overcome, but does not protect against another inventor’s independent filing. Best practice: file a provisional application immediately to secure a priority date cheaply (~$320 micro-entity fee), then convert to a non-provisional within 12 months. Do NOT publicly disclose before filing.