Learn More About Intellectual Property Law in Ukiah, California

Ukiah is the county seat and largest city of Mendocino County, California. With its accessible location (along the U.S. Route 101 corridor several miles south of CA 20), Ukiah serves as the city center for Mendocino County and much of neighboring Lake County. In 1996, Ukiah was ranked the #1 best small town to live in California and the sixth-best place to live in the United States.

What is intellectual property law?

Under intellectual property law, owners are granted certain exclusive rights to a variety of intangible assets, such as musical, literary, and artistic works; discoveries and inventions; and words, phrases, symbols, and designs. Common types of intellectual property include copyrights, trademarks, patents, industrial design rights and trade secrets. Intellectual property law involves advising and assisting individuals and businesses on the development, use, and protection of intellectual property -- which includes ideas, artistic creations, engineering processes, scientific inventions, and more.

Answers to intellectual property law issues in California

What is a patent and what can be patented?

A patent is a document issued by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) that grants a monopoly for a limited...

What types of inventions cannot be patented?

Some types of inventions will not qualify for a patent, no matter how interesting or important they are. For example...

What makes and invention novel, non-obvious and useful?

In the context of a patent application, an invention is considered novel when it is different from all...

What is involved in enforcing a patent?

Once a patent is issued, it is up to the owner to enforce it. If friendly negotiations fail, enforcement involves...

When does patent protection end?

Patent protection usually ends when the patent expires.

For all utility patents filed before June 8, 1995,...

Can inventors who are employed by a company benefit from their inventions?

Typically, inventor-employees who invent in the course of their employment are bound by employment agreements that...

How can an inventor make money with a patent?

On its own, a patent has no value. A patent becomes valuable only when a patent owner takes action to profit from...

What is a copyright and what does it protect?

Copyright protects works such as poetry, movies, video games, videos, DVDs, plays, paintings, sheet music, recorded...

How long does a copyright last?

For works published after 1977, the copyright lasts for the life of the author plus 70 years. However, if the work...

What is a trademark and what can be trademarked?

The term "trademark" is commonly used to describe many different types of devices that label, identify, and...