The complete guide to patents copyrights and trademarks is the only book you need to read if you want to protect your intellectual propertybrbratlantic publishing is a small independent publishing company based in ocala florida founded over twenty years ago in the company presidents garage atlantic publishing has grown to become a renowned resource for non fiction books today over 450 titles are in print covering subjects such as small business healthy living management . Sign in legal outlet legal outlet law discount store whats new law books civil procedure constitutional law contracts corporate law. When you submit your paperwork to the us patent and trademark office you secure your priority date this means that if another company starts doing something similar after your filing date theyre infringing on your patent and could be ordered to stop if you wait perhaps until your product is ready to launch or your company has more cash flow you wont have a case if someone . Patent reexamination a process conducted by the us patent and trademark office uspto on a patent that already has been issued in order to verify the claims and scope of the patent a patent . Protections such as patents copyrights and trademarks would stop competitors from copying or stealing your work kupferschmid said whether you seek a patent copyright or trademark would depend on what you need to protect patents protect inventions while copyright shields creative work and trademarks guard business names and logos