How do I find out whether I'm following patent/trademark laws?

Posted on July 16, 2010 with 2 Comments

I have an idea for a new product that is a variation of a few other products on the market. I looked up the federal patent laws and it doesn’t look like I’m breaking any existing laws, but I definitely don’t want to get sued (and can’t afford to hire a lawyer to look things over for me). If I want to start a small business on the side to make at the most an extra hundred dollars a months to pay my gas bill, would anyone come after me if I were breaking a patent law, and what would the penalty be? (Would I get a cease and desist order and be able to just stop, or would I get a huge fine or something.)

Pharmaceutical Patent Laws. Should countries that do not enforce laws against patent violations be penalized ?

Posted on July 16, 2010 with 1 Comment

For some time Foreign countries have been taking our prescription drugs and reverse engineering them and then producing them. Should the U.S Government Protect Pharmaceutical Patents by penalizing countries that do not enforce laws against Patent violation?

Many arguments have been made in favor of easing international patent laws for medical drugs. It is said that ?

Posted on June 29, 2010 with 1 Comment

Many arguments have been made in favor of easing international patent laws for medical drugs. It is said that this will help poor countries manufacture affordable medical drugs. This will also help countries such as India build an entirely new export industry. Should patent laws be relaxed for either or for both these reasons?