Summa, Allan & Additon encourages inventors, authors, and artists who are unaffiliated with corporations or universities to learn about intellectual property so that they may make informed decisions about retaining legal counsel.  The following links to outside web sites may be helpful in this regard.

Frequently Asked Questions:

- What are patents, trademarks, and copyrights?

- Do I need a patent, trademark, and/or copyright?

- How do I search for patents and trademarks?

- What is a patent (and basic facts)?

- What can and cannot be patented?

- How do I get a patent?

- How do I finance and/or market my invention?

- What are some other frequently asked questions regarding patents?

- What is a trademark (and basic facts)?

- What are some other frequently asked questions regarding trademarks?

- What is a copyright (and basic facts)?

- What else should I know about copyrights?

Other Useful Outside Links:

- General information regarding patents (overview)

- General information regarding trademarks (overview)

- Kinds of patents

- Inventors' Network of the Carolinas

- Inventors’ Digest

- PatentCafe-Intellectual Property Management

- Crash Course in Copyright

- U.S. Department of Justice (protecting intellectual property rights)

- FindLaw

- FindLaw (Intellectual Property)