There are different forms of recognized property:
- Real property (real estate), which is immovable property–land and anything attached to the land;
- Personal property, which is moveable and subject to ownership (except land);
- Tangible property that can be touched and includes the aforementioned real and personal property; and
- Intangible property, which refers to creations that are not physical in nature and cannot be held or touched. Intellectual Property is a form of intangible property.
Intellectual property is derived from “mental labor” and its fruits (the product of creative works) are often protected by federal and state government through trademarks, patents and copyrights. Generally speaking, patents protect tangible inventions, trademarks protect a name or symbol (such as a company logo), and copyrights protect artistic expressions, such as music and artwork. Another form of protection is trade secret laws, which generally protect formulas or information used in a particular business (such as a “special sauce” recipe). These trade secret laws are protected under state laws, rather than federal. For example, Pennsylvania Trade Secret Laws are enumerated in their Uniform Trade Secrets Act (UTSA) and you can read more about it here. Certain federal rules also apply to Pennsylvania through the Economic Espionage Act of 1996, which makes the theft of trade secrets a federal crime.
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has the responsibility of developing and strengthening intellectual property protection in the U.S. and abroad (through cooperation with intergovernmental organizations). You can read more about the USPTO here.
Protecting intellectual property is important because it encourages individual creativity. By protecting the economic enrichment (either actual or potential) developed from the invention, idea, device, method, formula, music, artwork, etc., the protected individual can work without the fear of theft or misrepresentation of their property.
The laws pertaining to Intellectual Property (IP) are complex and require a qualified IP attorney. However, Forletta Investigative/Security Consultant is your go-to private investigator for intellectual property protection–whether it be for an attorney or private individual. Forletta knows intellectual property protection in Pittsburg, and provides only the highest qualified investigators to assist with IP protection. Call Forletta today at 412-928-3945 for a free consultation on how we can help with your intellectual property protection.
