Protecting Intellectual Property in the United States:
A Guide for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises in the United Kingdom
This toolkit was developed to inform U.K. small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) about protecting their
intellectual property (IP) within the United States (U.S.) and the tools available to help them. As IP rights are
territorial, there may be differences in how your IP rights are protected in the U.S. as compared to the U.K.
According to the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), the term "intellectual property" “refers to
creations of the mind, such as inventions; literary and artistic works; designs; and symbols, names and images used
in commerce.” In the U.S., there are several types of intellectual property, which include
patents, trade marks,
copyrights,
and trade secrets. Patents allow their owner to determine who can make, use, or sell an invention.
Trade marks allow their owner to communicate the source or origin of a product or service to consumers.
Copyrights provide their owner with the ability to determine who can reproduce or distribute a work, publicly
perform and display a work, or prepare derivative works. Trade secrets protect confidential business information.
Certain plants, industrial designs, and regulatory data may also be protectable in the U.S. Each type has different
attributes and criteria for protection, so it is important to seek legal counsel. An intellectual property attorney can
help you identify, protect, and enforce your IP rights in the U.S.
PATENTS
A utility patent protects a new and useful process, machine, article of manufacture, or composition of matter, or any
new and useful improvement thereof. To obtain a patent in the U.S., the inventor must file a patent application with
the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), which includes (1) a written document comprising a
description and claims, (2) drawings when necessary, (3) an oath or declaration, and (4) filing, search, and
examination fees.
Patent protection lasts 20 years from the date of filing, and maintenance fees are required at 3.5, 7.5, and 11.5
years from the date of the patent grant.
All USPTO fee schedules may be found here.
In the U.S., protection for industrial designs is also provided under the patent system. Find more information on
types of patent protection in the U.S. and on international filings under the
Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT)
(covering patents), and Hague Agreement (covering designs).
TRADE MARKS
A trade mark or service mark is a word, phrase, symbol, or design, or a combination thereof, that identifies and
distinguishes the source of the goods or services of one party from those of others. You can establish common
law rights in a mark based solely on use of the mark in U.S. commerce; however, obtaining a federal trade mark
registration for a mark used in commerce provides significant advantages. You can file a trade mark application
online with the USPTO.
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A U.S. trade mark generally lasts as long as the trade mark continues to be used and is defended against
infringement. To keep a registration alive, the registration owner must file required maintenance documents at
regular intervals.
USPTO fee schedules may be found here.
More information from the USPTO about international protection under the Madrid Protocol may be found here.
COPYRIGHT
Copyright in the U.S. protects “original works of authorship” from the time the works are created in a fixed form.
An application for copyright registration can be submitted online to the U.S. Copyright Office.
Although registration is not required for protection, it offers many benefits, including a public record of the
copyright claim, prima facie evidence of the validity of the copyright when registration is made before or within
five years of publication, and the possible recovery of statutory damages and attorney’s fees and costs in
successful copyright infringement litigation for timely filed applications. To register a work, you must submit a
completed application form, the applicable filing fee, and a nonreturnable copy or copies of the work to be
registered.
In general, the term of copyright is the life of the author plus 70 years after the author’s death
(or last surviving author’s death if a joint work). For works made for hire and anonymous or pseudonymous
works, the duration of copyright is 95 years from publication or 120 years from creation, whichever is shorter.
(Works created before January 1, 1978, have special rules of duration). Filing fee schedules for copyright
registration are available on the
U.S. Copyright Office website.
TRADE SECRETS
Trade secrets are protected in the U.S. as long as the information is a secret, has commercial value, and
reasonable steps are taken to protect the information. What is a “reasonable effort” to protect a trade secret
may vary depending on the nature of the information you wish to protect. For businesses, implementing an
effective trade secret policy is advisable.
RECORDATION WITH CUSTOMS
A federally registered U.S. trade mark or copyright can be recorded online through an electronic application
with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). The recordation may be helpful in detecting infringing
goods coming into more than 300 U.S. ports. Recordation fee schedules, along with instructions for filing
electronically, are available at the
CBP website.
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ENFORCEMENT OF IP RIGHTS
U.S. law provides for civil, criminal, and border enforcement of IP rights. The USPTO and partner agencies
provide online tools and information for how to protect and enforce intellectual property rights, but rights
holders should seek legal advice from a licensed attorney.
In the U.S., the IP rights-holder is responsible for civil enforcement of its rights. It can also report IP theft online
through the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center. The
reporting form can be found here,
along with more information.
ONLINE RESOURCES
Electronic applications, fee schedules, applicable regulations, and additional training and education are available
through the U.S. government at these sites:
United States Patent and Trademark Office
GIPA IP Training and Education on all Topics
United States Copyright Office
United States Customs and Border Protection
United States Department of Agriculture
United States National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center
Stopfakes.gov tutorials and further resources
This toolkit and other information may be found at www.uspto.gov/IPtoolkit
Produced as part of the UK-US Trade and Investment Working Group.
