USPTO Helping Small Businesses

We recently received this e-mail from the USPTO Stop Fakes which will be of interest to small businesses:

The start of the New Year brings with it great possibilities. If you are a small business owner, you probably have big ideas for the year ahead, such as new product launches and visibility for your goods. Whatever the scenario, be sure to make IP protection part of your plan.

Your intellectual property, your own innovative idea is comparable to your identity. Once it’s stolen, it’s hard to get it back. Protecting your intellectual property rights early will help safeguard your product or service from illegal replication down the road.

The counterfeiting and piracy of consumer goods and products is steadily on the rise, both in the United States and abroad, and poses threat to the U.S. economy. Small-businesses are particularly vulnerable because they often lack resources and expertise.

Recognizing that this is an increasing concern, last year the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) launched a small business education program. This program is designed to educate small business owners about the increasing problem of intellectual property theft and to inform them about the steps they can take to protect their intellectual property. As part of the program, the USPTO has also launched a Web site dedicated to providing information particularly relevant to small businesses.

For more information on benefits of strong IP protection, both in the United States and overseas, and for details on filing for IP protection, please visit http://w ww.uspto.gov/smallbusiness.