How To Protect My New Invention - Card Game

[Veniamin]

Good Afternoon,

My is how do I go about protecting my new invention(Card Game). Brief intro, its involves cards, role playing and involves and encourages interaction and connection among the players.Is registered ISBN number applicable and sufficient.Do I have to Patent, Copyright and Trade Mark the card game to protect the owners interest.

[Arthur]

Dear Mr. Chan,

You've got a couple avenues you can explore. I'd also recommend contacting an IP attorney so you can receive legal advice from an expert that is aware of all the details of your new product.

For the game itself, you may be able to file for a copyright:

You can do this at the US Copyright Office. The application is fairly simple & the cost is $45 per application.http://www.copyright.gov/register/visual.html -- Visual Arts Registration

Despite what others state, a "poor man's" copyright is NOT the same as registering it. Here's what the US Copyright Office has to say:

"The practice of sending a copy of your own work to yourself is sometimes called a 'poor man’s copyright.' There is no provision in the copyright law regarding any such type of protection, and it is not a substitute for registration."http://www.copyright.gov/help/faq/faq-general.html#poorman – Link to above quote http://www.nolo.com/resource.cfm/catID/DAE53B68-7BF5-455A-BC9F3D9C9C1F7513/310/2... -- NOLO's Copyright Resource Centerhttp://www.nolo.com/resource.cfm/catID/B0602CF7-ABD8-4E42-BA43CC5D1C51DCE8/310/2... -- NOLO's Creative Arts & Music Resource Center

To protect the name and/or logo that would be a trademark:

Trademarks can be names of products or services, logos, slogans, packaging and even sounds and smells. In essence, a trademark can be almost anything that is used to identify a particular product or service. Registering a trademark grants the owner exclusive rights to the mark within the specified industry. Of course, it's necessary to research the mark comprehensively prior to filing to ensure that there is no possibility of infringing upon another party. This entails searching the pending & registered Federal and State trademark files as well as the US National Common-Law files. Then, if clear, you can decide if you would like to file for a Federal or a State trademark. To register a trademark, that's done either through your Secretary of State for a State trademark or the US Patent & Trademark Office for a Federal trademark. If you are only conducting business in one state, then a State trademark is most appropriate. If you conduct(OR are planning to conduct) business in at least 2 states OR between the US & any other country, you can file for a Federal trademark.

Hope that helps! I wish you much success & happiness in all your ventures!

Sincerely,

Shannon Moorehttp://www.tmexpress.comhttp://tmexpress.blogspot.com