Intellectual Property Experts

Provisional Patent Application

A provisional patent application is a lower-cost filing that establishes a 'patent pending' status for 12 months, giving inventors time to develop and test their invention before committing to a full patent application.

Trade Secret

A trade secret is confidential business information — formulas, processes, designs, customer lists, or algorithms — that provides a competitive advantage and is protected as long as it remains secret.

IP Assignment Agreement

An IP assignment agreement is a legal document that transfers ownership of intellectual property — code, inventions, designs, or creative works — from the creator to the company.

Fair Use

Fair use is a legal doctrine in US copyright law that allows limited use of copyrighted material without permission — for purposes such as commentary, criticism, education, news reporting, and parody. Whether a use qualifies as fair use depends on a four-factor balancing test applied case by case.

Trade Dress

Trade dress refers to the overall visual appearance and image of a product or business — including packaging design, color scheme, shape, or décor — that identifies its source and distinguishes it from competitors. Trade dress can be protected under trademark law without federal registration if it is distinctive and non-functional.