Introduction 1

Part I: Corralling Your IP Assets: Intellectual Property Basics 7

Chapter 1: Marshalling Your IP Tools 9

Chapter 2: Fencing in the Herd 19

Chapter 3: Calling in the Cavalry and Picking Up the Tab 29

Chapter 4: Trade Secrets: Often-Overlooked IP Tools 41

Part II: Going for the Gold: Patenting Your Product 49

Chapter 5: Understanding Patents and How They Work 51

Chapter 6: Testing the Patent Water Before You Dive in 63

Chapter 7: Hoping It Ain’t There: The Patent Search 75

Chapter 8: Preparing Your Patent Application 89

Chapter 9: Filing Your Patent Application 109

Chapter 10: Wrestling with the Patent Examiner 123

Chapter 11: Reeling in the Prize: Getting Your Patent Issued 151

Part III: Asserting Your Copyrights 167

Chapter 12: If It’s Got Style, You’ve Got Copyrights 169

Chapter 13: Untangling Ownership Issues 187

Chapter 14: Giving Your Copyright Fangs 197

Part IV: Protecting Your Commercial Identity 217

Chapter 15: Flashing Your Badge 219

Chapter 16: Coining the Next Household Name 233

Chapter 17: Searching for Name Availability 245

Chapter 18: Establishing and Registering Your Commercial Identifier 259

Part V: Making Your IP Rights Work for You 283

Chapter 19: All Abroad: Protecting Your IP Rights in Other Countries 285

Chapter 20: Making ’Em Pay: Licensing Your IP Rights 303

Chapter 21: Catching Them Rustlers (Infringers) 317

Part VI: The Part of Tens 327

Chapter 22: Ten Most Common IP Misconceptions 329

Chapter 23: Ten Patent Application Pitfalls 333

Chapter 24: Ten Practical Copyright FAQs 337

Chapter 25: The Ten Worst Naming Blunders 341

Appendix: How to Use the CD-ROM 345

Index 351