Patent, Trademark, and Copyright Searching on the Internet

Searching for patent, trademark, and copyright information once meant costly and time-consuming trips to a patent and trademark depository library. Now this information can be accessed on the Internet, if the searcher knows where and how to look. This book tells you everything about how to conduct this sort of search. Sections on patents, trademark, and copyright each include definitions--explaining what a trademark is, what can be patented, who can claim a copyright, and other important basic issues. The law regarding each area is defined and explained. Both resources and techniques for reaching them on the Internet are presented in a step-by-step format. Information on indexes and on new and helpful changes to the online patent system is included. The book has numerous appendices illustrating the types of sites the reader may encounter, and providing tips and explanations for specific kinds of searches. The text is both thorough enough for those already conversant with online searching or the legal aspects of these issues, and clear and up to date enough for the artist or inventor who simply wants to use computer technology to obtain a patent, create a trademark, or secure a copyright.