Trademark and Copyright

California Intellectual Property (IP) Lawyers Serving Los Angeles & Sherman Oaks

Your trademarks, service marks, copyrights and patents are valuable assets that serve different purposes.  The United States Patent and Trademarks Office (USPTO) defines these intellectual property types as follows:

• Patents protect inventions, designs, and improvements to existing inventions.
• Trademarks include any word, name, symbol, or device, or any combination, used, or intended to be used in commerce to identify and distinguish the goods of one manufacturer or seller from goods manufactured or sold by others, and to indicate the source of the goods.
• Service marks include any word, name, symbol, device, or any combination, used, or intended to be used, in commerce, to identify and distinguish the services of one provider from services provided by others, and to indicate the source of the services.
• Copyrights protect literary, dramatic, artistic, and musical works.

It is important to have patents, trademarks, service marks, and copyrights properly researched and registered. Narvid Scott  LLP can help you determine the best way to protect these assets.

Trademarks, service marks, and patents

Trademarks, service marks, and patents are handled by the USPTO.  When you apply for a mark or patent, you must comply with all their procedures and requirements.  Because there are so many issues that can affect the process, the total time for application processing can take a year to several years, depending on the legal issues that arise during the application process. While the USPTO does not require you to hire a lawyer, an attorney who is familiar with intellectual property law can help you navigate the many rules and regulations and expedite this process.

Trademarks  prevent others from using a  similar mark, but, they do not prevent others from making the same products or  selling the same services under a different mark. Trademarks  used in interstate or foreign commerce may be registered with the USPTO. At Narvid Scott LLP we handle all types of intellectual property and can help you navigate this often confusing and time-consuming registration processes. 

Copyrights

Copyrights protect the interests of companies, authors, and artists who create literary, dramatic, musical, artistic, and other works.  These works may be either published and unpublished.  A copyright owner has the exclusive right to do the following with the copyrighted material/work:

• Reproduce the work
• Prepare derivative works
• Distribute copies
• Publicly display and/or perform the work

The copyright protects the form of expression, not  the subject matter of the work.  For example, a recipe could be copyrighted, but this only prevents someone else from copying the exact recipe; it does not prevent others from writing their own recipe or following the recipe. Copyrights are registered by the Copyright Office of the Library of Congress. 

Though a copyright exists when the work is created, registering a copyright provides additional protection in case of an infringement lawsuit.  Registered works are eligible for damages and attorney's fees when infringement litigation is successful.  The attorneys at Narvid Scott LLP can  help you determine if you need this additional protection. 

Intellectual property law experts

We often consult with patent experts and collaborate with a network of intellectual property specialists to protect your interests. When trademark, copyright, and patent infringement disputes arise, our lawyers aggressively represent you in trials and appeals with the USPTO, the U.S. Copyright Office, California state courts, and federal courts. If you need legal help to resolve a dispute, apply for intellectual property protection and registration, or have questions about branded products, logos, trademarks, copyrights, service marks, or patents, call our office at (818) 907-8986 to arrange a consultation.