If you are doing business in Connecticut, you may have ideas you want to protect under Connecticut intellectual property law. This protection allows you to reap the full benefits of your business concepts and prevents others from unfairly using them.

"Intellectual property" refers to your ideas, owned by you as an individual or company. Although your intellectual property is protected under intellectual property law from the moment you create it, it is wise to register your intellectual property to create an official record of your ideas and more easily protect them should a conflict ever arise.

The 3 major forms of intellectual property under intellectual property law in Connecticut are:

1. Trademark, for trade names or logos.

2. Copyright, for artistic works such as published work.

3. Patent, for unique inventions, dictated by Connecticut patent law.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Choose the best protection under Connecticut intellectual property law

To protect your intellectual property, first decide what type it is. Trademarks refer to a name, phrase or logo that identifies your business. It can include words only, a particular look or font or even a color scheme. A copyright protects the specific form in which your ideas are recorded and is used to protect literary and artistic works. Finally, patents protect your inventions and are used for physical devices or abstract concepts, such as computer software algorithms or business methods.

I recommend: Start with the Intellectual Property Center of FindLaw, which outlines the basics of intellectual property and offers a wide menu of topics to help you begin to register your intellectual property in Connecticut. The Intellectual Property Resource Center of Netpreneur is also an excellent resource for your initial research. Review the helpful information at the United States Patent and Trademark Office find useful articles about Connecticut intellectual property law at the University of Connecticut's Connecticut Intellectual Property Notes.

Register your intellectual property under intellectual property law in Connecticut

It is essential for your small business to patent your ideas or register your trademarks or copyrights. This allows your small business to access the full power of the courts in protecting your valuable assets. Although patents and copyright are registered federally, you may register your trademark both in Connecticut and federally.

I recommend: Check the Trademark Electronic Search System to ensure your proposed trademark is not registered, then register online through the Trademark Electronic Application System. For your copyright, register federally through the U.S. Copyright Office or through the state of Connecticut through the Connecticut Commercial Recording Division.

Let a lawyer guide you through CT intellectual property law

For a patent in Connecticut, it may be in your best interest to consult with Connecticut intellectual patent attorneys for advice. Patent law in Connecticut, including Connecticut escrow law, has nuances that are often best left to intellectual property law firms in Connecticut that are familiar with filing your type of technology.

I recommend: To find intellectual property attorneys in CT, visit FindLaw, or see Justia for CT intellectual property lawyers. Visit Connecticut Trademark.com for state-specific information.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Form an intellectual property committee under the guidance of a Connecticut intellectual property law firm to address all of the intellectual property you have.
• •  Create an invention disclosure/submission procedure to capture the innovations created by your employees.
• •  To encourage a patent in CT, promote an invention record keeping procedure within your company.
• •  Create, document and enforce internal security procedures to track and secure your important information.