Legal Question in Business Law in Texas

Product registration

Having created a product which I plan to sell to the public, how do I protect the "idea" from being stolen or copied? Do I have to register it with some government agency? If I put an "r" within a circle on the product without registering it with a government agency am I infringing on some kind of law? Can I have dated pictures of my product with all other important documents mailed to myself and kept in an unopened, postmarked envelope to use as documentation later? Answers to any of these questions would be greatly appreciated.


Asked on 8/03/00, 2:36 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys
Charles Aspinwall Charles S. Aspinwall, J.D., LLC

Re: Product registration

Physical products [inventions] need to be granted a US government patent to be protected.

Intellectual property [original art, books, etc.] need a US government copyright to be protected.

Both involve an application to government, hoops jumped through, and hopefully the eventual grant. A copyright is far easier and cheaper to obtain than a patent.

Email us for a no-cost/obligation online consultation concerning patent/copyright laws.

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Answered on 9/13/00, 10:05 am


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