The internet has thousands of websites for information on copyrights; patents, and trademarks laws. Small businesses, investors, and legal counsellors may find it difficult and time-consuming to narrow down helpful information for their specific purpose.
The list below contains a list of government websites offering free, credible information on copyrights, trademarks, and patents.
Copyrights – www.copyright.gov
The website provides detailed information on copyright law, records, registration, fees, and everything related to it. It also has a “circulars and brochures section” under the Publications Head with answers to commonly asked questions on copyrights.
Patents & Trademarks – uspto.gov; patents.google.com
There are two websites that I regularly use to find info on patents. The first is uspto.gov. This is the official website of the United States Patent and Trademark Office, the administrative body in charge of accepting and issuing patent applications. The trademark office falls under the same office. All information pertaining is available on the same website.
Click on the Patents tab and go to the FAQ section for answers. Under the Trademarks tab, there is a section titled “Basic Facts About Trademarks” with sufficient information to clarify your queries.
Google Patents is an excellent resource to use plain language searches to find relevant patents to your area of technology. The interface is simple and intuitive to use, and it contains the same patent database as is used by the official USPTO database.
The content in this post is not intended for legal advice. Its purpose is to help you find accurate information on copyrights, trademarks and patents and assist with attorney communications. Legal advice differs with each case and facts. Your legal counsel is the best person to guide you on your case.
