Patent Links
 United States Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) includes much information useful for inventors.- European Patent Office (EPO) includes information on European patent protection.
- Tennessee Inventors Association (TIA) is an organization that meets in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, each month. The Tennessee Inventors Association is a forum for individual inventors to share their knowledge and advice regarding developing and commercializing their inventions.
- SCORE, formerly known as The Service Corps of Retired Executives, is an organization devoted to aiding small business in developing and growing their businesses. SCORE offers free advice and help for inventors.
- The Greater Knoxville Chapter of SCORE has a page of Tips for Inventors
- Tennessee Small Business Development Centers is a Tennessee based organization that is partially funded by the SBA and the State of Tennessee. The TSBDC has offices in Oak Ridge and Knoxville, TN.
- Knox County Public Library provides valuable resources for researching information on invention development.
- For more information regarding patents, see the Patent FAQ.
- So You Have An Idea by the Franklin Pierce Law Center offers information regarding profiting from an invention or idea.
- Seeking Cost-Effective Patents by the Franklin Pierce Law Center offers information on deciding what to patent.
- How to Finance Your Invention or Great Idea is a helpful book available from Jack Lander, an inventor mentor.
- Invention companies: The PTO has an informative brochure available here on scam prevention. This brochure identifies questions an inventor can ask an invention company before sending them money. The PTO also publishes complaints regarding invention companies.
- The Federal Trade Commission has a page here regarding invention promotion companies.
- Knoxville Entrepreneur Center (KEC) is a business accelerator located in Knoxville that serves as the front door for entrepreneurs in the region. The KEC is a resource for anyone looking to start or grow a business.
- Technology 2020 in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, is a local incubator.
- National Business Incubation Association (NBIA): www.nbia.org is an organization advancing business incubation and entrepreneurship.
- The US Census Bureau offers a web site for County Business Patterns, which gives geographically-based business information valuable for market research.
- Inventors' Digest: www.inventorsdigest.com is a magazine aimed at providing information to inventors.
- Everyday Edisons, a PBS show featuring real inventors and the steps taken to bring their products to market.
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 Copyright Links
- United States Copyright Office: www.copyright.gov includes information regarding copyrights.
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 Trademark Links
- United States Patent and Trademark Office (PTO): www.uspto.gov includes useful information regarding trademarks.
- United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP): www.cbp.gov includes information about recording trademarks to assist the CPB in its efforts to prevent the importation of goods that infringe registered marks.
- The Tennessee Department of State administers state registered trademarks.
- The Tennessee Trade Mark Act of 2000: TCA 47-25-501, et seq, describes the Tennessee laws regulating Tennessee trademarks.
- Lexis-NexisTM has the Tennessee Statutes regarding trademarks available here.
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Trade Secret Links
- Tennessee Statute TCA 39-14-138 "Theft of trade secrets" states that it is a crime for someone to take a trade secret.
- Tennessee has adopted The Uniform Trade Secrets Act: TCA 47-25-1701, et seq. This act describes the law regarding trade secrets in Tennessee. Other states may have differing laws regarding trade secrets.
- Lexis-NexisTM has the Tennessee Statutes available here.
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Links to White Papers and Articles
These papers were written by Tom Kulaga.
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Disclaimer: The listing of any outside links on this site does not indicate an endorsement of the linked company, agency, or firm. The information provided on this site is for general legal education purposes. An attorney should be consulted for advice and counseling regarding the law as it applies to your specific situation and facts.
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