U.S. Trademark Law
United States trademark law is mainly governed by the Lanham Act. “Common law” trademark rights are acquired automatically when a business uses a name or logo in commerce, and are enforceable in state courts. Marks registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office are given a higher degree of protection in federal courts than unregistered marks—both registered and unregistered trademarks are granted some degree of federal protection under the Lanham Act 43(a).
Related Resources
- Copyright Law
- Digital Millennium Copyright Act (PDF, 277 KB, 60 pages, January 1999)
- U.S. Patent Law, U.S. Code 35, Chapter 26
- Copyright.gov
- United States Government Works and Copyright Act of 1976 (Word document, 16 KB, 2 pages, June 2011)
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