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A patent is a legal document granted by the government giving an inventor exclusive rights to make, use, and sell an invention for a certain number of years. Patents are crucial for entrepreneurs since they protect innovative products from being copied, ensuring a competitive advantage in the market.

A trademark is a recognizable sign, design, or expression which identifies products or services of a particular source from those of others. Trademarks are important for entrepreneurs as they help build brand identity and protect the company's reputation by ensuring that others cannot use similar signs.

A utility patent protects the functional aspects of an invention and is the most common type of patent. Entrepreneurs seek utility patents to safeguard their new machines, processes, or compositions of matter to maintain a competitive edge.

A design patent protects the ornamental design of a functional item and is important for entrepreneurs who want to safeguard the unique appearance of their products, which can be a significant factor in consumer choice.

A provisional patent application is a temporary application filed with a patent office that does not require formal patent claims, providing a lower-cost first patent filing. Entrepreneurs use it to establish an early effective filing date and have a year to file a formal patent.

Patent infringement occurs when an unauthorized party makes, uses, sells, or imports a patented invention or its substantially similar equivalent. Entrepreneurs must be vigilant about patent infringement to protect their market share and revenue.

A non-disclosure agreement (NDA) is a legally binding contract that establishes a confidential relationship. Entrepreneurs often require NDAs when discussing their inventions or business ideas with potential partners, investors, or employees to prevent unauthorized sharing of proprietary information.

Prior art refers to all information that has been made available to the public in any form before a given date that might be relevant to a patent's claims of originality. For entrepreneurs, understanding prior art is essential to determining the patentability of their inventions.

Intellectual property (IP) refers to creations of the mind, such as inventions, literary and artistic works, designs, symbols, names, and images used in commerce. For entrepreneurs, IP is a valuable asset that can be commercialized, licensed, or sold to generate revenue and business growth.

Trademark infringement is the unauthorized use of a trademark or service mark on competing or related goods and services. Protecting against infringement is essential for entrepreneurs to safeguard their brand and avoid consumer confusion.

A patent search is a search of existing patents and other public documents to discover if an invention is truly original and patentable. Entrepreneurs conduct patent searches to avoid infringement and ensure that their applications have a higher chance of approval.

Trademark registration is the process of legally claiming a trademark by filing the required documents with the appropriate government body. Entrepreneurs register trademarks to obtain exclusive rights to use them and prevent others from using similar marks.

Patent prosecution is the process of writing and filing a patent application and interacting with the patent office to get the patent granted. It is important for entrepreneurs to engage in patent prosecution to obtain legal protection for their inventions.

A cease and desist letter is a document sent to an individual or business to halt purportedly illegal activity ('cease') and to not restart it ('desist'). Entrepreneurs may use it as a first step to take legal action against infringers of their patents or trademarks.

A trade secret is a formula, practice, process, design, instrument, pattern, or compilation of information not generally known or reasonably ascertainable by others. Entrepreneurs protect trade secrets to maintain a competitive advantage and to safeguard their proprietary knowledge and processes.

Patentability refers to the legal criteria that an invention must meet to be eligible for a patent, which typically include being novel, non-obvious, and useful. Understanding these criteria is critical for entrepreneurs to determine if their inventions can be patented.

A licensing agreement is a legal contract by which an IP right holder (licensor) allows another party (licensee) to use, make, sell, or distribute the licensed property for a period in exchange for royalty payments. Entrepreneurs use licensing agreements to monetize their IP without directly selling it.

Trademark dilution is the weakening of a famous trademark's power and value due to unauthorized use by others on unrelated products, even without confusion. Entrepreneurs must guard against trademark dilution to maintain the exclusive branding and recognition of their marks.

The Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) is an international treaty that streamlines the process of filing patent applications in multiple countries through one central application. Entrepreneurs use the PCT to save time and effort when seeking patent protection in various international markets.