Webinar - Know the Facts: Patents, Trademarks and Copyrights

The webinar will be held via MS Teams Platform.

Please click to join the webinar on Friday, June 7, 2024 at 9:00 AM (CT)

Disclaimer

The U.S. Small Business Administration provides programs and services on a nondiscriminatory basis. Moreover, SBA can make reasonable arrangements for persons with disabilities if requested at least two weeks in advance.

The SBA's participation does not endorse any opinion, product, or service of the organizations in attendance. The SBA organizes informational workshops for business development purposes only.

About the Series – Organized by the SBA Lower Rio Grande Valley District Office
Introducing the “Let's Talk Business Series,” a 12-part program connecting entrepreneurs with federal, state, and local small business resources. Whether you're a budding entrepreneur or want to grow your business, this series presents essential business topics, provides a forum for networking, and promotes success in today’s dynamic business environment. Participants may attend one, two, six, or all sessions.

Session 11 – Know the Facts: Patents, Trademarks and Copyrights

Trademarks, patents, and copyrights are different types of intellectual property. Deciding what you want to protect and to what extent is up to you. You can have a brand but decide not to protect that brand by registering it as a trademark. If you choose not to register your brand as a trademark, however, anyone could misuse your brand or create a brand so similar to yours that people can’t tell the difference between them. Are you unfamiliar with patents, trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets? Don’t miss this opportunity to learn from USPTO experts about intellectual property (IP) basics and potential ways to protect your innovation as you transition from idea to product.

This session, presented by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, will provide an overview of the different types of IP (patents, trademarks, trade secrets, and copyrights) and explain the importance of understanding each type to assist or protect your ideas and business ventures.

Discover and Learn:

• An overview of intellectual property types: patents, trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets
• Why innovators and entrepreneurs should consider protecting their IP
• Local resources and assistance available through the USPTO and other agencies
  

PLUS, in the second hour, learn about using the USPTO’s federal trademark search system

Searching the USPTO’s trademark database is a key component of a comprehensive clearance search. Do you understand the role of the likelihood of confusion in searching? Do you want to learn how to use the new system? Are you interested in tips and tricks for upper-level searching? Join an expert from the USPTO for a live demonstration and an exploration of basic and advanced search techniques.

We’ll cover:

• Why you should search
• Simple searching using drop-downs
• Advanced searching using field tags
• Common search strategy
• Finding help

For more info, contact Veronica Z. Ortega, EDS, at 956-427-8535 or veronica.ortega@sba.gov

About U.S. Patents and Trademarks Office:

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is the federal agency that grants U.S. patents and registers trademarks. The USPTO registers trademarks based on the commerce clause of the Constitution and advises the president of the United States, the secretary of commerce, and U.S. government agencies on intellectual property (IP) policy, protection, and enforcement and promotes stronger and more effective IP protection around the world. It also provides training, education, and capacity-building programs designed to foster respect for IP and encourage the development of strong IP enforcement regimes by U.S. trading partners.