Patent And Trademark Help From The US Government

The Department of Commerce's United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has launched a Web site — StopFakes -- dedicated to small businesses and protecting their intellectual property (IP), both in the U.S. and abroad.

Specifically designed to answer common questions of small businesses so they can better identify and address their protection needs, the new online resources are part of a nationwide awareness campaign to help educate small businesses on IP protection.

The Web site provides information to help small businesses, home business owners, inventors and other entrepreneurs decide when, where and how to file for intellectual property protection, covering patents, trademarks and copyrights.

While theft of intellectual property poses a serious threat to all American businesses, your small business may be at a particular disadvantage because you don't have the resources and expertise like the big guys. Plus you probably don't have personnel (or very few!) to keep on top of violations. Make sure you hop over the site and take a look at what it has to offer.