Intellectual property law is a field of the law that includes copyright law, patent law, trade secret law, and trademark law. Intellectual property law also sometimes deals with other areas of the law, such as licensing and unfair competition.

Intellectual property law protects ideas and concepts that are created by the human mind. Patent law aims to protect inventions and discoveries, including everything from product innovations to new processes. Copyright law protects original artistic creations such as music, films, literary works, and television programs. Trademark law pertains to brands, logos, and other symbols that are associated with particular products and businesses and you can read more about it on https://www.hngn.com/articles/227862/20200113/what-can-the-experts-at-inventhelp-do-for-you.htm.

The laws established for licensing serve the end of allowing intellectual property owners to share their protected ideas with others in a legal and mutually beneficial way. Laws dealing with unfair competition and statutes pertaining to counterfeiting and pirating of creative works also extend legal protection to intellectual property owners against others profiting from their ideas.

These different areas of intellectual property law often overlap with one another and are frequently practiced together as you can see from https://millennialmagazine.com/2020/01/13/dont-give-up-on-your-invention-idea-turn-to-inventhelp/. For example, a new process for managing a business’s intellectual property can be protected as a trade secret before it is patented. Or, copyright and patent law may be used to protect creative efforts intrinsic to computer software.

At one time, inventions could be protected only by filing a FULL patent application. Because this is a lengthy process, you may not want this delay at the beginning of your project.

You may still be developing your idea and not yet be ready to file the full application. But, you want to know that while you work on your invention, no one else can file a patent and get ahead of you.

The U.S. Patent Office now permits you to file a PROVISIONAL patent application. This is a simpler document that costs much less than a full application.

The PROVISIONAL remains on file in the United States Patent Office for 12 months after filing. It then expires, unless you file a FULL application as explained on https://www.natureworldnews.com/articles/43137/20200108/why-inventhelp-is-a-great-resource-for-new-inventors.htm.

During that 12 months you can:

• make patent searches
• search trade marks
• build prototypes
• conduct tests
• investigate manufacturing options
• contact prospective buyers
• select packaging
• locate distribution
• arrange financing

Before the end of the 12 months you should file a FULL application. This FULL application is backdated to the filing date of the PROVISIONAL application. This way, you can protect your invention and no one else can get ahead of you as you can see from https://www.latinpost.com/articles/143207/20200108/why-new-inventors-need-assistance-from-inventhelp.htm.

If you do not file the Full application within twelve months of filing the Provisional, the Provisional Application expires.