Helping Your Clients Protect Their Intellectual Property
I attended a web conference a couple weeks ago, offered by the US Department of Commerce, about how foreign entities have intruded on property rights of American businesses. They have enlisted the SBDCs to get out the word. According to the presentation, counterfeiting accounts for 5% -7% of global merchandise trade, with lost sales of $600 billion in 2005. Small businesses are especially vulnerable because they: -Lack other product lines to fall back on -Lack financial resources -Have liability hazards Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) are Private Rights: -Legal protection for an investment -Protection provided under national legislation and international agreements -They include patents, trademark, and copyright -For more information about patents and trademarks go USPTO or call 800 786-9199 -For more information about copyright, go the copyright Office or call 202 707-3000 The Department of Commerce recommends that SBDC advisers discuss IPR with your clients prior to new product