This book’s non-legal style provides easy-to-read guidelines for automation professionals, manufacturers, and business owners who need to protect their ideas and inventions as assets or understand better how to respect the Intellectual Property rights of others. Equipment, tools, software, chemical formulations, connectors, controllers, sensors, pumps, engines, their components, and other related devices are likely the Intellectual Property of the individual, company, or group who created them.The author emphasizes how to obtain and use patents, trademarks, copyrights, and maintain trade secrets by identifying those assets as Intellectual Property while providing useful tips and practical insight on obtaining and maintaining property. The author also highlights the use, sale, protection, and transfer of Intellectual Property for those who have identified or have pending patents, marks, copyrights, and trade secrets. Numerous scenarios illustrate what can happen when individuals, a company, group, or other business form do not take the proper steps to protect the property. This book also highlights the following areas: U.S., State, and Foreign Trademarks, Benefits of having a patent, trademark, or copyright, and Protection of Intellectual Property.Content:Front Matter Table of Contents Introduction1. What is Intellectual Property?2. The Goal of Intellectual Property - Innovation and Examples of IP3. Examples of Discoveries... "Inventions" and "Ownership of Inventions"4. What Makes an Invention Patentable?5. Examples of Works of Authorship... "Copyrightable Work"6. Examples of Trademarks7. Examples of Trade Secrets and Secrecy Agreements8. Five Financial Reasons to Identify and Register Intellectual Property9. Three Basic Licensing Fees10. Two Techniques to Identify Assets also Known as "Inventions"11. Creating an Inventor Awareness Program12. Creating an Inventor Reward Program13. United States Utility Patent Application Process14. Provisional Patent Applications - A Low Stress Step15. Five Strategies to Consider 16. How Long Does Intellectual Property Last?17. The United States Federal Trademark Application Process18. Trademark Rejections and Overcoming Them19. The Trademark Classes - One Filing Does NOT Cover All 20. A Checklist of Activities to Identify Names, Logos, and Slogans 21. Proper Use of Trademark™ and Registered® 22. Benefits of Federal Trademarks 23. Trademark Watching Services 24. Take the Trademark Quiz...25. Six Types of Copyrightable Works 26. Fair Use Exemptions to Copyright Infringement 27. Ten Easy Steps to Identify Secrets That Provide a Commercial Advantage to a Business28. International Intellectual Property Helpful ResourcesIndex