Maine intellectual property law (IP law) and the providers thereof are important to the growing number of inventors who are seeking to go beyond a hobby and turn their invention into something profitable.

Maine intellectual property law covers such topics as: intellectual property, copyrights, e-commerce and Internet transactions, fiduciary duty, trade secret, unfair competition litigation, intellectual property litigation, licensing, patent prosecution and protection and trademarks.

To find if you can be helped with intellectual property law in Maine:

1. Determine if your need falls under any of the categories listed in paragraph 2.

2. Determine if your provider offers free initial consultations.

3. Be prepared to thoroughly explain your idea. Consider bringing in samples, mockups, diagrams or anything to give the consultant something to help him or her visualize what you are needing help with in the field of intellectual property law in Maine.

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

Start with a Maine intellectual property attorney search engine

Skip generic search engines like Google and Yahoo. Instead, you can look up your Maine intellectual property attorney search by using a state-specific part of a national website.

I recommend: Find Maine intellectual property attorney at IntellectualPropertyLawFirms.com. FindLaw is another place to find an Maine intellectual property law firm. Justia gives you a breakdown by county or city.

Go with a larger company for your Maine intellectual property law needs

Consider a national or international firm for your Maine intellectual property law needs. Work with a trusted network for referrals, and choose a company with a quality reputation to help you with your Maine patent law questions.

I recommend: Read Consulting is a national firm that specializes in product liability, failure analysis, patent disputes and intellectual property. They even conduct reverse engineering. Litman Law has run over 30,000 patent searches. Invention Home can not only help inventors move their product to market, but they also specialize in putting companies in touch with inventors.

Look for state-wide practices that know Maine intellectual property law

Look state-wide for your provider of information on Maine intellectual property law. Some firms represent only in their community or county. Finding one that is local to you can help you easily answer your questions about Maine intellectual property law.

I recommend: Jeffrey P. White and Associates, P.C. out of Portland, ME is the first place to find Maine IP attorneys. Eaton Peabody out of Augusta is one place to find a Maine intellectual property lawyer. David P. Crocker is your next place to find intellectual property law in ME information. You should also consider contacting the Maine Patent Program for help with your intellectual property ME questions. The program was developed "to support the commercialization and manufacturing of innovations in the State by providing education and assistance with the patent process of the United States Patent and Trademark Office to companies, inventors and entrepreneurs in the State." They aim to support economic development for Maine businesses and inventors.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Don't be discouraged if your first try doesn't come through clean from your patent search. Work with a Maine intellectual property law firm to strategize for the next time.
• •  Find a patent mentor to bounce questions off of. Take that person to lunch and discuss what worked for him or her and what failed. Learn from those mistakes. There is no need to reinvent the wheel.