Patents, Trademarks and Copyrights

Do you have an invention or an inventive idea? Are you concerned about protecting your idea or invention? Click on "Calling Inventors: Protecting Your Ideas" on the left for information about our upcoming class!

Patents

A patent is a property right granted by the United States to inventors for a limited time in exchange for public disclosure of their invention. Patents give inventors the right to exclude others from making, using, or selling their invention.
Trademarks: A trademark is a word, phrase, logo, or other mark registered to identify a product or service of a particular business.
Copyrights: A copyright protects published and unpublished writings, movies and their scripts, sculptures, paintings, and other “original works of authorship.”
Iowa Inventors Database: This 1843 - 2006 database of Iowa inventors and their inventions is searchable by name of inventor, their residence, title of invention, date a patent was granted, and patent number.

Additional Information

Ask a Librarian! Patents and Trademarks Question Form
Staff at the State Library will be happy to answer questions you have on patents or trademarks.

Last modified March 10, 2008 11:21 AM

Upcoming Events: Children's Book Week May 12, 2008; National Legislative Day Washington, DC,
May 13, 2008; OCLC User's Group Conference Cedar Falls,
May 16, 2008; Previous events…

Contacts: Karon King; Barbara Corson