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

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

The 3 most common forms of intellectual property under Maryland IP law are:

1. Trademark, for trade names or logos.

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

3. Patent, for unique inventions, dictated by intellectual property law in Maryland.

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

Choose the best protection under intellectual property law in Maryland

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 Maryland. 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 or the United States Copyright Office.

Register your intellectual property under MD intellectual property law to protect your business

It is essential for your small business to patent your ideas or register your trademarks or copyrights. This allows 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 Maryland 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 through the United States Copyright Office. Register your tradename in Maryland through the State Director of Assessment and Taxation.

Let a lawyer guide you through IP law in Maryland

It may be in your best interest to consult with Maryland intellectual patent attorneys for advice about protecting your intellectual property. Patent law in Maryland, including Maryland escrow laws, has nuances that are often best left to Maryland intellectual property law firms that are familiar with filing your type of technology.

I recommend: To find Maryland intellectual property lawyers, visit Lawyers.com or see FindLaw or the Maryland State Bar Association for Maryland intellectual property law firms. Find a Maryland expert in patent law at MarylandPatent Law.net or through the US Patent and Trademark Office.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  If you have to change your business name later because you discover that someone else has already registered the name, it could cause confusion to your customers and lost business, so be sure to check the Maryland corporate name database before registering.
• •  The 'circle r' symbol may only be used for federally registered trademarks, but registering your trademark under Mayland intellectual property law still provides additional protection.
• •  Tradenames indicate a business name, but trademarks may simply indicate a particular product or service.