US investigates Vietnam's intellectual property practices; Reuters, May 29, 2026

 Reuters; US investigates Vietnam's intellectual property practices

"The Trump administration on Friday opened an unfair trade practices investigation into Vietnam's intellectual property protection policies and enforcement that may ​lead to new tariffs or other trade measures.

Vietnam was identified as a priority country by the ‌U.S. Trade Representative's office on April 30 "due to its persistent failure to resolve long-standing concerns about IP protection and enforcement," the USTR said."

Tuskegee University Alumna Helps Push Through Patent and Trademark Resource Center Designation; Tuskegee University, December 19, 2024

 Thonnia Lee , Tuskegee University; Tuskegee University Alumna Helps Push Through Patent and Trademark Resource Center Designation

"Thanks to the dedication of Tuskegee University alumna Charesse Evans, Tuskegee University Libraries received official designation as a Patent and Trademark Resource Center (PTRC) by the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), the federal agency responsible for protecting inventions, creative designs, and other innovations.

This means Tuskegee University can now provide trademark and patent assistance through our library staff.

“As a patent attorney and intellectual property professional with over two decades of experience, I am incredibly proud to have played a role in helping Tuskegee University achieve official designation as a Patent and Trademark Resource Center (PTRC),” said Evans, a Senior Advisor to Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the USPTO. “This designation holds particular significance for me, both personally and professionally. Throughout my career, I have collaborated with numerous institutions across the country to support and protect intellectual property. It is an absolute honor to witness my alma mater become an integral part of this essential ecosystem that nurtures the brilliant minds being shaped at the university and within the surrounding community.”...

The Tuskegee University PTRC will support residents who want to patent an invention or register a trademark. The university team is trained to help inventors and small businesses find the information they need to protect their intellectual property."

What 70% of Americans Don’t Understand About Intellectual Property; Stites & Harbison, October 26, 2023

 Mandy Wilson Decker, Stites & Harbison; What 70% of Americans Don’t Understand About Intellectual Property

"The United States Intellectual Property Alliance (USIPA) recently published the results of its US Intellectual Property Awareness & Attitudes Survey. Among its findings, the survey results revealed that 70% of Americans are unable to distinguish between mechanisms – patents, trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets – for protecting Intellectual Property (IP).

Given these results, it's worth exploring the principal mechanisms for protecting IP, which each possess some distinctive features."

The Difference Between Copyrights, Trademarks and Patents; The New York Times, April 16, 2020

Alexander Webb, The New York Times; The Difference Between Copyrights, Trademarks and Patents

Whether you’re an inventor, a writer or an artist, you need to know what these each mean — and which you need to protect your work.

"Intellectual property theft has always been a problem, but it has never affected as many people as it does today. If you’ve taken a photo, recorded a song or written a letter, you’ve likely created a copyright. If you operate a small business, you probably qualify for trademark protection, and if you invent something, you may be able to patent it. But the same tools that make it easy to distribute your work online make it easier than ever to steal.

Intellectual property, or I.P., is everywhere, but almost nobody who is not a lawyer understands how to protect their art, business or inventions. This article is no substitute for real legal advice, but it should give you an idea of what questions you need to ask next. I.P. law is vast, so this will focus on basic terms you’ve probably heard: copyrights, trademarks and patents. Let’s get started."

How This CEO Is Streamlining The Copyright Process For Independent Artists; Forbes, January 27, 2020

Cheryl Robinson, Forbes; How This CEO Is Streamlining The Copyright Process For Independent Artists

"Jessica Sobhraj, cofounder and CEO of Cosynd, is on a mission to be the central hub that creators use to protect their work. The company designed a platform that automates copyright contracts and registrations for independent creators and businesses by working in conjunction with the U.S. Copyright Office. The company has simplified the process of documenting crucial ownership data and filing copyright registrations of all types of content – music, videos, imagery and literature...

“There's so many times when you're just going to hear ‘no’ in your face,” Sobhraj concludes. “You're going to be rejected and you're going to be let down. You've got to build tough skin, especially to make it in the music industry or the creative industry in general. You've got to be able to take criticism and turn it into something positive.”"

Putting China in charge of the world’s intellectual property is a bad idea; The Washington Post, Janaury 30, 2020

Josh Rogin , The Washington Post; Putting China in charge of the world’s intellectual property is a bad idea

"Beijing is lobbying hard to take over leadership of the international organization that oversees intellectual property, which could result in dire consequences for the future of technology and economic competition. But the U.S.-led effort to prevent this from happening faces a steep uphill climb.

In March, 83 countries will vote to elect the next director general of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), a U.N.-created body founded in 1967 “to promote the protection of intellectual property throughout the world.” The Chinese candidate, Wang Binying, currently serves as one of its four deputy director-generals and is widely seen as the front-runner.

On its face, allowing China to assume leadership of the WIPO poses a clear risk to the integrity of the institution, given that the U.S. government has singled out China as the leading source of intellectual property theft in the world."

Intellectual Property The Hard Way: Part II; Forbes, September 11, 2018

Mary Juetten, Forbes; Intellectual Property The Hard Way: Part II

"Last month I started an interview series on intellectual property (IP) and also wrote a piece about general IP tips for startups here.  The goal is to use actual stories and experts in the field to help others avoid IP mistakes or failures or infringement, and more importantly to ensure that companies of all sizes identify, protect, and monetize their valuable intangible assets. As has been discussed many times, these assets often make up 90% of a startup’s valuation."

Trademarks, Patents and Copyrights, Oh My! What's the Difference?; Business News Daily, August 10, 2018

Adam C. Uzialko, Business News Daily;

Trademarks, Patents and Copyrights, Oh My! What's the Difference?

"Intellectual property might seem esoteric, but it's important to protect it like you would any other asset. To do so, you'll need to understand some basics about intellectual property rights first. 

Two of the most common forms of intellectual property protections are the copyright and the trademark. While the two are often confused, they protect very different types of intellectual property. Learning the differences, and how you can use both to protect your own creative output, is essential to securing your assets."

Trademark Basics: What Can and Can't Be Trademarked?; Business.com, June 21, 2018

James Parsons, Business.com; Trademark Basics: What Can and Can't Be Trademarked?

"When you’re producing graphics for your website, whether it’s a logo for the corner navigation or an illustration for a blog post or landing page, those are assets of value. You might have paid a graphic designer for them, or you might have made them yourself, but either way, they’re worth protecting. So can you trademark them?"

10 million patents: A celebration of American innovation; Director's Forum: A Blog from USPTO's Leadership, Thursday, June 14, 2018

Andrei Iancu, Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office, Director's Forum: A Blog from USPTO's Leadership
10 million patents: A celebration of American innovation

"On June 19, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office will issue patent number 10 million—a remarkable achievement for the United States of America and our agency. More than just a number, this patent represents one of ten million steps on a continuum of human accomplishment launched when our Founding Fathers provided for intellectual property protection in Article 1, Section 8, Clause 8 of our Constitution.

Appropriately, patent number 10 million will be the first issued with a new patent cover design, which we unveiled in March at South by Southwest in Austin, Texas. It was created by a team of USPTO graphic designers including Rick Heddleston, Theresa Verigan, and led by Jeff Isaacs."

Types of Intellectual Property Businesses Don’t Realize They Have; Inside Counsel, June 15, 2017

Amanda Ciccatelli, Inside Counsel; Types of Intellectual Property Businesses Don’t Realize They Have

"So, how can these smaller businesses know if they have valuable IP worth protecting? 

According to [Leonard] Marquez [from Wendel Rosen Black & Dean], most IP counsel can conduct what is often referred to as an IP audit. Counsel can work with management to review the company’s operations and spot issues where IP is being generated, but where the company may not have all the protocols and other measures in place that it should to protect that IP...

What can smaller businesses do to ensure their IP is protected?

According to Marquez, once there is a recognition of the need to protect the company’s IP, management should proactively reach out to IP counsel. Each type of IP implicates its own unique set of considerations as far as protecting that IP. 

He added, “Many trade secret misappropriation cases are won or lost on that issue alone. Each category of IP being generated and handled has to be considered and the appropriate measures taken to protect that IP.”"