Their work formerly revolved around machinery and equipment designed by individuals or companies, but much of today's work goes toward computers and the Internet, which brings companies around the world into competition in a single electronic marketplace. As an information-based economy, we have to expect that more of our work will be in that area, too. Intellectual property work involves more than just running to the patent office, Hennessey said. Companies also have to make sure that the product they are working on or the process they want to protect has not already been claimed by another. Besides patents, intellectual property covers includes copyrights and trademarks.
Trade secrets are another matter.
But there is a risk that by keeping the secret unprotected, others will reverse-design an imitation. After talking with lawyers, Baumann found the company had not one but three processes that could be protected under separate patents. We knew we had something unique. Baumann said she felt it was important to find a firm that had attorneys specializing in patents. You really have to go with someone who specializes in software.