FAQ’s

Why Should I Have An Attorney?

Lawyers are trained legal professionals who can explain the laws to you; help you evaluate your options; negotiate or mediate conflicts with other people; prepare letters, court forms or other legal documents for you.

How Do I Select a Good Intellectual Property Lawyer?

Intellectual property law covers a very broad spectrum of legal issues involving contracts, licensing, patents, trademarks, copyrights and more.  The level of expertise of lawyers specializing in these areas can vary from generalists in the field to experts in sub-specialties that may range from information technology ("IT") to transactional licensing law.  Thus, you should first focus your search for lawyers on those who present themselves as having expertise with the particular type of legal issues or problems that you are facing.

How Do I Know I Can Trust You?

InternetLawServices is a Division of The Law Offices of Michael J. Lightfoot P.C. and we hereby agree that any Information pertaining to invention(s), idea(s), and the like provided by the Inventor(s) with not be revealed, used, disclosed, sold, or transferred without the express authorization of the Inventor(s). We are bound by the Illinois Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct and the United States Patent and Trademark Office Rules of Ethics.

How soon will I receive forms that I order through your web site?

If you choose one of the forms and do not want lawyer advice on using the form, the form will be downloaded to you within a few minutes of our receiving payment.  If you have any questions or comments related to receiving your form after payment (please allow approximately 10 minutes for the payment clearing process and download), please Contact Us.

If you choose one of the forms that includes lawyer advice, one of our experienced attorneys will contact you at the phone number or e-mail you provide in the applicable form during the same business day - which is defined as 9 AM to 5 PM Central Standard Time USA (or if ordered outside of normal business hours, the next business day) to discuss the form with you and provide you advice on its use for your business purposes, for up to one-third of an hour professional services time, and that  legal fee is included in the price of the form.

Are forms purchases refundable?

Due to the fact that our forms are downloaded to you in Microsoft Word format, we are not able to refund customers. 

What is Intellectual Property (IP)?

Intellectual Property (IP) is a creation by human intellect having commercial value. Intellectual property law allows people and businesses to protect their rights by affording to them an opportunity to stop trespassers and, in many cases, recover damages.

Intellectual Property (IP) can be broken down into 4 main areas:

• Patents
  Provide inventors and those with rights to inventions the exclusive right for a limited period of time to prevent anyone else from making, using, selling, or importing the inventions. Patents are granted on machines, articles of manufacture (devices), compositions of matter (materials), processes (methods), and improvements of any of these.

• Trademarks
  Consist of words, phrases, symbols, logos, designs, sounds, and others that identify sources of products or services (Service Mark) in the marketplace. Businesses use trademarks and service marks to help distinguish their products and services from others to create product recognition and brand loyalty.
  
  
• Copyrights
  Rights granted to owners of creative original works of authorship that are fixed in a tangible medium of expression. A copyright applies to the literal expression of an idea, not the underlying idea or concept. As soon as an expression is placed onto a tangible medium (paper, film, recording, CD-ROM, sculpture, and many others), the copyright comes into existence. Registering the copyright with the U.S. Copyright Office creates a legal presumption that 1) the copyright is legitimate and 2) allows the copyright owner to recover damages (compensation) without the need to prove any actual harm. Types of works that can be copyrighted include: photographs, movies, videos, recordings of music and speeches, song lyrics, musical compositions, choreography, books, poems, manuscripts, paintings, sketches, sculptures, architectural designs, computer programs, maps, models, crafts, jewelry, and many more.

• Trade Secrets
  A broad term to cover secret information that is defined by how it is treated and protected. It provides an owner of the information with a market advantage over its competitors. To enforce a Trade Secret action, an owner must show that the Trade Secret has been maintained in a way that reasonably anticipates preventing others from learning about it. Unlike patents, trademarks, and copyrights, there is no registration with a government agency. Types of information that can be a Trade Secret include source code for software, customer lists, marketing, pricing, and sales information, compositions, processes, devices, designs, formulas, recipes, and others.

I have additional questions. Who can I ask?

Contact Us to submit your custom question. We usually respond to all emails within 48 hours.