Introductory articles on various intellectual property issues

I find it useful to keep tabs on a few articles and other references that provide a good introduction to various intellectual property issues. When asked by individuals or in-house counsel unfamilar with the basic concepts, I point them to the articles as a starting point.

The current edition of the Michigan Bar Journal has a tremendous collection of such articles, covering topics ranging from the basic principles underlying patent, trademark, copyright and trade secret protection to the nuances of dealing with music licensing groups like ASCAP. Note that the link will change once the current edition is archived.

All of the articles are wonderful introductions to the respective issues.

The article entitled “A Guide to U.S. Intellectual Property Searching Online” is particularly useful.

I found the article entitled “Look-Alike Packaging: A balance of principle and pragmatism” particularly interesting. The article describes some of the intellectual property issues that arise in private labelling arrangements.