Intellectual Property Books

My interest in this book was: 1. To investigate the possibility of exciton-chlorophyll based computation via the genetic engineering of the chloroplast. 2. To obtain a background in just what can be done in plant transgenesis from a commercial point of view, in particular ornamental plants and other horticultural applications, such as the genetic engineering of lawn grass for pathogen resistance, controlled height, and color shading. 3. To gain more insight into the current conflict between genetically-modified and organic crops being waged in the media and between continents. 4. The possibility of using synthetic methods for inducing plant transgenesis. Not all of these were addressed in the book, but it did serve to give more insight into how transgenesis in plants is done, and examples of each, up until the year of publication. The field of course has considerably advanced since then.

Chapter 1 begins with various definitions of gene transfer and a brief history of attempts to create transgenic plants. The authors emphasize the great changes that have taken place in the last two decades, but acknowledging the plant transgenesis is still in relative infancy.

Chapter 2 is then a discussion of techniques for transformation, such as Agrobacterium-mediated, in planta, direct transfer, and biolistic methods. The omit though any discussion of the exact laboratory protocols, and they caution that the ratio between transient and stable transformation can have vary widely. Some of the more interesting discussions in this chapter include: 1. The fact that different agrobacterial strains have different host ranges, with some being limited, while others having broad host ranges. 2. The molecular mechanism by which T-DNA is transferred in the plant's genome. The T-complex's ability to wait and "catch" a naked fragment of plant DNA is brought out with enthusiasm by the authors.

In chapter 3, the authors discuss the various tools for genetic transformation. Some interesting disscussions here include: 1. The reduction of expression due to the removal of scaffold attachment regions. 2. Killer genes, such as the Barnase gene and TA29.

Chapter 4 is an overview of the regulation of gene expression. Interesting discussions here include: 1. Light-regulated gene expression and light signal transduction in the context of photomorphogenesis. The authors emphasize that single genes can possess many responsive cis acting elements which can interact or independent. The combinatorics of the cis acting elements and the transcription factors make the possibility of plant transgenesis seemingly unlikely, the authors emphasize. 2. Protein targeting into the chloroplast and mitochondria. 3. The SAR/MAR effect via the higher order structure of chromatin and its relation to gene silencing. 4. The occurrence of gene silencing and the complications it causes for producing transgenic plants. 5. Antisense RNA and its role in suppressing gene expression. Because of the book's date of publication, RNA interference, which was discovered in 1998, is not discussed in this book.

In chapter 5, the authors review the genetic engineering of crop improvement. They address crop protection from biotic and abiotic stress (such as viruses and fungal pathogens), improvement of yields, crop quality, and the genetic engineering of ornamental plants. The discussion is thorough and the authors bring out many interesting facts that shed light on the current debates on GM crops, one of these being that the use of lysis-producing antimicrobial toxins in transgenic crops is not harmful to mammals. The now well-known (and controversial) bacillus thurigenesis (BT) endotoxin and its use as an insect pathogen is discussed in detail. Also discussed, and equally as controversial, are transgenic crops with herbicide resistance. As for abiotic stress, the authors discuss various transgenic strategies for salt and drought resistance, and tolerance against metal toxicity. The discussion of ornamentals is a sample of the intriguing future that is ahead for horticulture.

The authors discuss some of the many products that can be manufactured using transgenic plants in chapter 6. They begin with the use of transient expression of heterologous genes, overviewing a few cases where this has been accomplished. They they turn their attention to where the heterologous gene is integrated into the genome of the transgenic plants, one very interesting example being the production of antigens, such as that for hepatitis B. Another interesting example is the production of antibodies, such as the production of secretory immunoglobin A. By far the most fascinating discussion of all though is the one on the use of using plant transgenesis to produce degradable polymers.

The production of transgenic plants for the commercial market has raised quite a fuss in recent years, and so the authors devote the last chapter of the book to the discussion of the risks and benefits of doing so. It is a fair discussion and addresses the main concerns, with the authors expressing caution but clearly supporting the genetic engineering of plants, as long as it benefits humankind.

According to this book, that is what a major studio head said to the inventors of TIVO. I disagree with the people who are giving a bad review because of "artists rights". This book is more about the tyranny of Hollywood corporations and how they have extended copyrights and control big technology companies. There are a few good stories about Sony. One reflects how they won a lawsuit (against Hollywood) that paved the way for VCR's back in the 80's. Then after they bought BMG, and became a big Hollywood corporation themselves, they created a ficticious movie critic in some newspaper to give their own movies good ratings. Now they make products with copyright protection built in, and you can't even film your TV or burn a CD of your own Wedding.

This is just the tip of the iceburg. This book really shows the greed of Hollywood.

I originally heard about this book, while I was listening to a recorded Q and A session of South by Southwest (SXSW). I'm really glad I followed up and got it. Lasica did a fantastic job explaining our culture and how we interact with technology and new media. This book really wraps up how different groups such as corporations, senators, pirates and musicians affect it. Things are happening that you won't necessarily agree with on all sides.

Technology isn't as simple as making discoveries, because of the slow moving patent driven society we have become. The two sides covered brilliantly by Lasica are basically those who want or have ownership over information so they can control pricing, distribution, and those who want to use technology and media as creators, not just consumers. But it's the examples in the book that make it great...of the groups driven to darknets who don't want to be limited by laws that they feel are outdated, unjust, those who want information for everybody. These people from all walks of life are very interesting. Plus I loved all the references I learned about from reading it.

This book makes me very very angry, and not in the way that the author wants. He clearly wants me to be angry at big media for keeping me from doing what I want with my content whenever and wherever I want to. He gives story after well told story of how the law stops people from doing clever and creative things like adding video to their Sunday sermons. But he completely ignores the artist. Without the artist, his big media has nothing to offer. Doing the things he advocates makes it impossible for the digital artist to earn a living in their primary medium. That is why the laws that he so wants to change are there in the first place. He wants you to forget that by telling one side of the story. I, as a digital artist struggling to make a living, cannot forget that side of things.

I just finished this book, and I disagree with the previous commentor. The book is highly readable. But it is clearly propoganda. I agree with the raters that give it low stars. If you want to learn about this topic, this is probably your worst starting point if you have any interest in a fair overview.

Reading this book is like listening to a speach by Bush. His position is that "reasonable people" will agree with him, and those who don't either miss the point, are "unpatriotic" to his clearly righteous cause, or are just idiots. If you are interested in this topic, read the summary of the book and the posted comments. You'll get a good grounding in both sides of the issue - something that the book itself does not provide.

Among the many vast fortunes and colossal failures written about covering the dot com era, we have the story of Shawn Fanning and Napster. Despite a remarkable rise to prominence and infamous downfall, Napster never made any significant monetary impact; however, the company and its founder shaped the industry of online music and peer-to-peer file sharing and left a significant impact.

Menn presents a thorough account of Napster's lifespan from Fanning's early work on development, the financial backing by Fanning's somewhat suspect Uncle, obtaining venture capital funding, and the eventual rulings leading to the demise of the company. If you have an interest in the companies that started the internet age and the mindsets and actions that were behind building them, this book will be of interest as Menn does a first-class job presenting Fanning's story and Napster's lasting relevance in the digital age.

Tried hard to finish this, but couldn't. This is significant because I hate wasting money - and therefore, usually slough through to the finish on even the most unbearable works. But here in Jo Menn's "All The Rave" I found it was everything BUT Interesting and had to throw in the towel after the first 100 pages.

Primarily, this book just bored me to death. The prose is written like a long newspaper article and worse still, the storyline delivers nothing but whining. Incessant whining. Nearly every character tortures you with their pleas for a scapegoat; the "WHY" this $100 million project ended up on the scrapheap can be simply put. Summary Judgement.

Here we have a voluminous history of the Napster phenomenon, but only from a certain jaundiced angle. As a critical outside journalist, Joseph Menn was unable to directly interview some of the principal players in the saga, and often relies on legal documentation. In turn, much of his research is based on secondary sources and hearsay from people not directly involved in the events described. This all taints many parts of the book and reduces its believability. We do get a good rundown of the genesis of Napster, as teenage computer whiz Shawn Fanning and some ambitious hacker friends had a brilliant idea about music file sharing, which then got far more monstrous than anyone could have ever expected. Menn then spends most of the book describing the byzantine investment deals and corporate wheeling and dealing to launch the doomed Napster corporation, in ways that were preposterous even during the dot-com bubble. In the end, enthusiastic people with great ideas tried to cash in, and watched forlornly as others let everything crash and burn.

These investigations by Menn are initially informative but descend into a tiresome swamp of nitpicking and unnecessary details that detract from the more interesting cultural ramifications of the Napster craze. And the biggest problem is that Menn gets very personal, especially when describing the business executives who got involved in Napster after its incorporation - piling on criticisms from other people who are clearly not neutral observers, and dwelling uselessly on people's love lives and personal transgressions. This goes especially for an apparent personal vendetta that Menn seems to have against John Fanning, Shawn's uncle and business strategist who muscled his way into prominence based on his nephew's invention. It's reasonably evident that John Fanning was a poor businessman and unfairly latched onto his nephew for his own gain. However, be suspicious of an author who relies on character assassinations toward someone who refused to give him an interview. Menn's questionable personal motivations and general focus on unnecessary details damage what could have been a very insightful book. [~doomsdayer520~]

Before buying/reading this book ask yourself if you want to invest the time/money reading what the author promises goes below the "surface" on all previous Napster reporting when most of the book's focus is sugjugated on events/descriptions like:

- Shawn Fanning's encounter with Courtney Love (according to the book he met her one night)

- Business tips from Shawn Fanning's estranged biological father (the author tracks this loser down to get his take on Shawn's new business - and he recommends Shawn sell it ASAP)

- Shawn's love affair/tryst with a woman we are told is "beautiful"

FOLKS THIS RUSHED PROJECT I GIVE 1 STAR.

Just finished Menn's "All The Rave," a.k.a. the Napster chronicles....

for what it's worth, i found very little new material here - most of the scoop is previously published....

& to my dismay, nothing is reported on Shawn Fanning's new venture, Snocap. An interesting twist for Shawn with Snocap, several journals are reporting that Fanning's new company seeks to end illegal file-swapping with an avalanche of controls...interesting twist, wouldn't you say for the guy who created fild-sharing to begin with...again nothing of this is reported in Menn's book which feels heavily dated by now.

At any rate, the book read kinda slow....though the thing i do appreciate the most is the book's cover art - kitty in black.

the title is misleading, the content is poor, many examples but no explainings on how to create a similar good copy

content is mostly copied from his other handbook


dissapointment

This book was very similar to Bly's previous books which went through the basic tenets of copywriting. He does a great job of transferring the "writing to sell" principles to web pages in this book, but I wish he would have touched more on the technical aspects. Many writers are looking to learn how to approach writing for Flash or any new web language of the day... and we need something that brings us into that territory. With this book, it was close but no cigar.

I've read many books in this segment and I would strongly recommend reading Hot Text: Web Writing that Works or Networds. Robert Bly is a "print guy" that thought it would be interesting to write a book on electronic copy. I would say that the first half of the book is written by supposed experts in on-line marketing. The book is crowded with all sorts of references to other people's work. This leads to a very choppy style of reading in my opinion. The author uses case studies from work that he has already completed but rarely does the content match the electronic world. For a book that is written in 2003, the data is incredibly dated. The author is comfortable with using data from 1996 in a book that talks about the ever changing environment of On-Line marketing. Most of the data regarding internet statistics was incredibly dated. The author talks about the principals of good copy writing but rarely goes into any depth with regards to examples of the principals. I found the writing to be lazy to say the least. Clearly this author is capitalizing on the interest of electronic copy. Take out the experts that know about on-line marketing, you're left with an incredibly weak book. Although there are is a lot of expert reference, rarely do the experts go into any depth with regards to their arguments or points. If this book is the only book that you are exposed to within this segment; you might be left thinking that you read an average book. When you compare the book to other books in the same segment, it simply doesn't compare. Not a good book.

Learning to write content for an effective website is crucial for any business or organization. Not only does Bly recommend good writing practices, he also describes the best way to design and market your website. This book is a credible source and a helpful resource for anyone pursuing web content development.

I especially thought that the tips in the first half of the book regarding web writing fundamentals and practices were very helpful. And, although the data may have been out of date, the principles still apply. Bly also provided several good websites throughout the book that would help any beginning web designer in their quest for the perfect website.

This book is totally out of date for 2003 and 2004!

I read this book 3 yrs ago, and it helped to explain the different legal mechanisms available to protect a company and its products.

There's no single source of information nor one person (not even if you're willing to pay a lawyer) who will explain it all to you.

However, this book set me off in the right direction to thinking about the aspects of my products that I could patent, what I should trademark and what copyrights I had with my products.

At least, I was able to ask the right questions when I got around to consulting a lawyer. I think the lawyer also appreciated that he did not have to spend time and explain to me (what was obvious to him) the different strategies to protect intellectual property. I think this made him willing to help me with better advice.

Of course, I needed to learn more about drafting patents, and also the different geographic regions granting protection to different patents. I had to learn more about trademarks and the right strategy to registering trademarks in different regions. All this is important since they come with a cost, so you want to control your costs and budget for the time you incur those costs. But it does make a difference in the value, credibility and sustainability of your business.

I wonder if the creators of that operating system had this book, would anyone know of Bill Gates or Microsoft; or if Xerox held its research and development of the paperless office, would the Information Technology field be totally different- yeah you know where I am going with this.

If you are a creative mind searching for a way to protect your hard work and development, GET THIS BOOK for it is a sound minded investment for your greatest assets: ideas that move the world and generate money.

This book explained all the types of Creative Assets Protection out there. Granted it does not read as the other Rich Dad books, not as personal, but its lessons and information are vital not only to understand various intellectual properties, but also to seeking the best legal representation in both the physical and cyberspace.

This book was an extremely helpful book for me because of the fact that it covers so many different areas of intellectual property protection. Because it covers so much and so many different types of intellectual property protection, it is a book that really makes you think about all the possibilities. I like the fact that it is very broad. Considering that the book is written by an attorney who is bound by the rules of ethics not to disclose his client's confidential matters, I found the book to have ample specifics and examples of different types of intellectual property protection.

My personal impression is that it is a book that can help business owners looking to protect their intellectual property as well as those who are interested in a more scholarly approach. That is the genius of this book. It can be very useful to many different kinds of readers. I think that even a lot of attorneys who practice in different areas of the law would probably find this book extremely valuable. That is a great complement to the author.

As the title indicates, it makes you realize that your intellectual property is really your number one asset.

I think I know how this book was written. A whole lot of cut and paste from U.S. Law code with some mediocre story telling sprinkled in. If you want to be technical and write in the language of professional law, fine. But this is not the series to do it in.

Unlike the rest of the Rich Dad books that I've read -- which were for the most part fantastic -- this book was terrible. Michael Lechter may indeed be a very bright guy and a star in his field, but he is an absolutely horrendous writer. The intro by Robert Kiyosaki was the only really enjoyable part to the book. Lechter immediately jumped into complex explanations of the various types of IP protection available without really clarifying anything for the lay person like me. And no real life examples of anything -- just references to a couple hypothetical "horror stories" that he relays at the beginning of the book. The only reason I gave this book 2 stars and not 1 is because at the very least I was able to get some basic definitions of IP terms down. But I guess I could've gotten that from a dictionary too.

there's some interesting stuff in here, particularly in the area of computer forensics. but the book jumps all over the place. it starts with an good story of a real forensic raid (i beleive just the names were changed to protect the innocent), but abruptly switches to entirely unrelated situations. it eventually drops the storyline altogether, leaving you wondering how it ended and what the aftermath was.

boring and not in depth. if you are looking for an adventure, this is not the book for you.

This book is fascinating. The style of writing allows you to go inside the minds of corporate fraud offenders. In order to do the crime it fosters accomplices along the way. The amazing thread is that the criminals have their scheme planned out but they forget one critical element, there's always someone that can find the trail that's left behind. Computer fingerprints. I thought that the book was eloquently written and I walked away with a clear understanding of corporate criminal fraud and what criminals will do for greed.

Security literature is filled with titles on procedures, processes, and details of performing forensic investigations. Despite its title, this book is not another one. Equal parts autobiography, mystery, biography, and action thriller, the book is an overview of the cases and characters with which the author, a forensic investigator at Deloitte and Touche, has been involved.

In chapter after chapter, the reader receives a high-level view of the tools and technologies used in forensic investigations, then learns the inner workings of specific corporate frauds. These cases range from garden-variety frauds to cybercrime.

One fascinating chapter explores the disposition of a bank account dormant since the Holocaust and how forensic investigators cracked the case 60 years after the fact. It describes how a large group of investigators went to Switzerland to determine the beneficiaries of dormant World War II-era Swiss bank accounts. The chapter details methodology used to retrieve documents and to discover what was hidden and who was entitled to it.

Geared for management-level readers without much technical background, the book spares the reader byte-by-byte details on forensic evidence gathering and handling. Story after story gives readers a very accessible account of how investigators detected fraud, misuse, and a wide range of other corporate criminality. With its real-life drama, the book is both an enjoyable and instructive read.

This book was recommended to me by a coworker when I was working at one of the big four in the area of data mining. I was at first skeptical of the depth of its IT specifics but quickly realized that between the gripping lines of adventure the author skillfully embedded vital knowledge that's critical for anyone who wants to get the insight of corporate systems, IT infrastructures, and how they work together. In the format for a novel, the author took me on an exciting and informative ride in the world of corporate forensic investigation.

This was an extremely disappointing book. Given Dr Sullivan's credentials, I was disgusted with the lack of substance within the book. For example, having stated that Financial analysts heve not given sufficient thought to developing a valuation approach to knowledge companies, and that the presented framework can be used in IC valuation, I didn't expect to be presented with several pages of "Price is the amount a purchaser is willing to pay..Cost is the amount of money required to produce an item." Believe it or not, most of us knew this already.

Be prepared for plenty of insightful and leading edge pearls of wisdom: "Parents are often asked by their child 'How much do you love me?' ..tends to fall back on answers like 'A lot!'. The point is that some things, even very important ones like love, do not lend themselves to accurate or quantifiable measurement."

It appears that Dr Sullivan didn't have anything knew to contribute and filled the book any way he could.

To assume that the book is providing anything useful to semi-educated personnel is merely patronising.

For individuals actually interested in quantitative measurements of intellectual property value, this book is largely a waste of time. The text is full of a lot of business school "value creation" idealism and has little practical value in my opinion. Indeed, for those really interested in valuing intellectual property and intangible assets, see the associated book by Gordon V. Smith and Russell L. Parr. This text has everything you are looking for and this book is unnecessary.

This book has its good points and its bad points. The good thing is that it is very well written, concise and easy to read. It brings important points to light and is a good start at dealing with a large complex issue. The bad aspect is that the book tends to rely on the experience of the author in developing the models that are at the heart of the book, rather on validated and tested truths.

A good place to start....

"In 1999, CEO Magazine and Arthur Andersen hosted a roundtable luncheon for CEOs interested in discussing intellectual capital (IC) and its impact on the firm as we know it. The luncheon drew 17 CEOs representing both manufacturing and service industry companies. All were intrigued by the potential hidden value that the intellectual capital perspective suggests lies untapped within their businesses, but none knew what kinds of value they could obtain from their company's intangible assets or how they might go about it. They just knew that there was hidden value in their companies and that it was somehow wrapped up in the thoughts, skills, innovations, and abilities of their employees. They wanted to learn more about this value: how to harness it, direct it, and extract value from it. This book is written for those CEOs and for anyone else who wants to know how to extract the hidden value that resides within the firm's intellectual capital. As of this writing dozens of firms actively engage in extracting value from their IC. The people directing the activities for these firms have formed a community (called the ICM Gathering) to share their ideas and success stories. With the expectation of a very few proprietary bits of information that could be useful to competitors, these firms are willing to share their knowledge, and this book draws heavily on their experiences. The purpose of this book is to help businesses profit from one of their most important assets, their intellectual capital" (from the Introduction pp.3-4).

In this context, Patrick H. Sullivan divides his book into three major parts as follows:

I. The Relationship Between Intellectual Capital and Corporate Value (Chapters 1-4). In this part, he basically:

* defines and discusses intellectual capital and its importance, and outlines some of the basic concepts underlying corporate value.

* describes a three-dimensional IC framework that reveals the IC aspect of the firm, and outlines the four key elements of the IC framework.

* discusses the kinds of value that intellectual capital provides to the firm, including direct and indirect, offensive and defensive, and internal and external value.

* discusses the ways managers may determine which activities are required to produce the firm's anticipated IC value.

II. Valuing Knowledge Companies (Chapters 5-7). In this part, he basically:

* discusses the concepts that underlie determining the amount of value that intellectual capital has for an organization.

* discusses the quantitative value of knowledge companies in two different kinds of situations: the value as a going concern (the stock market value), and the value in a merger or acquisition scenario.

* discusses the following questions: When determining how much to pay for a knowledge company being acquired, how does the potential purchaser make the calculation? Is the frame of reference an accounting or financial one? Or is it an intellectual capital one?

III. Managing Intellectual Capital (Chapters 8-12). In this part, he basically:

* describes the key elements involved in extracting value from intellectual property, including key decisions and decision-making processes, including who is involved, what information is needed by the decision-makers, what work processes are necessary to provide this information, what databases are needed to store the information, and how each decision will be implemented.

* discusses the similarities and the differences between intellectual property and intellectual asset and the implications this has for the intellectual capital management process.

* describes the relationship between knowledge, knowledge types, and intellectual capital, and introduces the relationship between knowledge and profits, the concept of value creation and value extraction.

* discusses management of the firm's core human capital and how they may be best employed.

* identifies the steps required of companies that want to implement and intellectual capital management capability.

In addition to these three parts, to reinforce the reader's knowledge, he discusses basic intelectual capital management (ICM) concepts and definitions, and provides a brief overview of the evolution of ICM as a working discipline in the appendix.

I highly recommend this invaluable study to all executives and HR practitioners.

I found this book very helpful for people in organizations that are complex. For small companies, sometimes we take for granted that managing human capital can be as easy as yelling over the top of a cube wall, and that applying for a patent can be amonumental achievement. But in companies where these things are routine, and systematic approaches are needed, Sullivan seems to present some credible, sound logic towards hot to approach these problems. This is not a how-to book, but returns to business management fundamentals to lay the ground work for an approach. There are no how-to books in this field, but this is an area that requires thought by readers, and Sullivan doesn't presume to know all the answers and detail. I have already applied many of the principles he presents in this book in my own company.

I have the third edition as published in 1997, at a much higher price than the current book. This book was useless even in 1997.

The author believes in accreting, not revising. So chapter 13 was entitled "New Developments 1995", and chapter 31 entitled "New Developments: 1996 and Early 1997". In between is a disorganized hodgepdge of articles about software, medical devices, foreign filings, and so on. The style of writing is discursive, with almost no diagrams (only one chapter out of 31 has any diagrams at all) and no summaries or bullet point lists to help a busy patent practitioner.

The material itself generally is (i) outdated, (ii) well-known to patent attorneys, and/or (iii) too disorganized and episodic to give a layperson any useful understanding of patent strategy.

I strongly suspect that the glowing reviews elsewhere on this page are written by the author's friends and family, if not the author himself. When I move to a new office a few weeks from now, this book will be heading off my bookshelf and deep into my garage -- if it's lucky.

This book has four reviews that give it 5 stars. The Patents are Business Tools "review" that gives it no stars is taken, at least in part, from the preface to the book. The Author Makes Free Update Articles review, which gives the book 5 stars, is written by the author.

I just received this book today and have only read the first 50 pages. I'm dissapointed that I've already discovered 4 or 5 errors in the text - missing or incorrect words. Some sections are well written and others look like they were dictated, but not proof-read. I have the third edition.

It's puzzling that over 60 pages are used to reprint the Patent and Trademark Office's Guidelines for Computer-Related Inventions. These are available on the web at http://www.uspto.gov/ for free.

It's even more puzzling that the Appendix includes a Bill proposed to Congress in 1995. The third edition went to press in late 1997.

The preface to the third edition says: "A word of caution: . . . many complicated legal technicalities are glossed over or not discussed in this book, in an effort to communicate fundamental strategies. . . (Also, any part of this book may be obsolete or othewise in error at the time you read it)." I agree with the author on these points.

My advice is to read a chapter or two from the book before you buy it. If you buy it online without seeing it first, you may be surprised by how much it differs from the glowing reviews.

This is the timeless classic work that invented the field of Intellectual Property Asset Management. It coined and defined many of the key terms and concepts that rule the patent business today. Indeed, this book may be the first time that the three words "patents", "strategy", and " business" ever appeared together in the same sentence. Learn how to connect the dots between patents and profits, to turbo-charge your business plan, and pump up your bottom line. Includes early groundbreaking analysis of software and business method patents.

"Stephen Glazier's book ... is a field manual for the intellectual property strategist to start thinking and acting ... Glazier's book is one of the few sources which makes the effort to approach the patent field as a matter of strategy rather than as a matter of ... how the authorities line up on each particular legal issue ... Glazier's book lets the reader understand in a brief and manageable way how things work in the patent field ... The writer wishes Glazier would convert his book into a multi-volume loose leaf series for which there is surely strong need and probably no better potential author or editor." -- review from Intellectual Property Rights News, vol. 2, no. 3.

The sub-title of this work is "Third Edition," which apparently came out in 1997, based on the date of the "Preface to the Third Edition" but its publication date is given as 2003. Since things have changed a great deal in the patent arena since 1997, this book is far less useful than would be one actually revised and republished in 2003. I'm returning this book and demanding a full refund.

Some inventors and entrepreneurs may have become gun-shy about utilizing the Internet to promote their products after the collapse of more than 100 dot-coms and the disappearance of 40,000 dot-com jobs in 2000. However, the fact remains that the Internet has become a powerful business tool not only for "new economy" companies but also for "old economy" companies. This book provides the basis for making informed decisions for selecting, maintaining, and using domain names to promote your product or service.

The authors immediately make the point that "Choosing a name, or more than one, for your web site is no trivial matter -- your decisions can make or break your business". They offer as proof as to the value of a good domain name the fact that one such name, just the name itself, sold for $7.5 million!

The book details how and where to register your domain names. Network Solutions Inc. (NSI), is the current dominant register, but others are listed and their web addresses given. It is vital to be the "senior user", i.e., the first to actually use the name. This applies to any domain name and in particular to when your name is also a trademark. It is also vital that your name be distinctive and that it avoids confusing customers by its spelling or by the sound of the name. The authors quote George Eastman's famous advise about name selection -- "Be short, be vigorous, be easily spelled, and mean nothing". They note U.S. trademark laws specify six types of names that cannot be used. One such category consists of names that "contain immoral, deceptive, or scandalous matter".

If you wish to sell or buy a domain name, the book provides a domain name transfer agreement form. A chart is given that lists the various factors to be considered if you discover someone is using your name or an excessively similar name.

You must be alert to "cybersquatting". That is others using your trademark as a domain name. In 1999, Congress passed a law against such bad-faith use of names.

In about l5 minutes, you can now search the U.S. Patent and Trademark database for registered or pending trademarks. The book gives directions and screen images of this site. A great deal of time, money, and grief may be avoided by making this simple trademark search. The book also lists other sites, such as www.thomasregister.com, for currently used commercial names.

Always remember that the "likelihood of confusion" is often the key ingredient in trademark hassles. Many court decisions have been made in this area, but it is still a gray area in some cases. The authors devote a full chapter as to how to register your domain name as a trademark in the U.S. Patent Office. Having a registered trademark is a powerful position to be in if a legal dispute arises.

Another chapter, "Help Beyond This Boo"," provides information as to where to go to do legal research regarding federal laws. It also provides advice for finding a lawyer who is competent with regard to trademarks and who is respectful, honest, and conscientious. Uncontrolled "billable hours" can ruin you financially. Read this section well.

The book's appendix contains a complete listing and explanation of the 42 classes into which trademarks are divided. Also, several pages detail how recorded computer software now is assigned to various classes.

In common with other Nolo publications, this book does a superb job of explaining, in plain English, the practical and legal aspects of the subject. This book will not make you into a domain name lawyer, it does not claim to, but reading it may save you a lot of grief down the road.

I think this book is worth every penny. It helped me to find best sites and deals on domain names. It also taught me how to protect my trademark and keep all my whois info private.
I've learned so much about domain registrars. Choose the registrar which is right for you!
I would like you not to make my mistakes.I had a pretty bad experience with GoDaddy. Yes, they seem to be cheap but then u discover hidden hooks and fees and need to pay extra $$$ :(((( I just transferred my domain to http://mapname.com for $6.85..And for this price I've got Free URL forwarding, Free Unlimited private emails, Free Private POP3 email box, Free Dynamic IP support, Free Spam protection....
They have private registration for free..I wonder why I've paid extra $9 to Godaddy ?
Anyways, be sure to read tips and hints in this book(they are
marked) Good luck with your domains!

A better title for this book would be "How to Choose an OK Name for a Small Business."

As another reviewer noted, this book was written by lawyers, who seem to know more about law than marketing. Consequently, the marketing advice is rather basic, but correct in my opinion. This is exceptional considering all the bad advice out there on domain names.

But if you are a small business, you don't need a great domain name, and it's not cost effective for you to spend thousands of dollars or many hours choosing a great name. An OK name with no trademark problems will do for most basement, small and garage businesses.

Written by lawyers, this book has good trademark advice. If you are looking for marketing advice for a larger business, look at "The 11 Immutable Laws of Internet Branding" by marketing expert Al Ries, "How to Select & Buy an Elite Domain Name" or other books on branding.

This book was written by a couple bored lawyers, who know as much about domain names as I know about law. Funny, but you don't see me writing a book on law. Everyone thinks they are an expert, but these two will have a hard time convincing you of that if you waste your money to read their almost amusingly misleading advice.

This was the second book (there are only two in print) I bought in my quest to understand the domain name business. It does provide some useful information on coming up with your own domain name and it does provide lots of info on trademark considerations in choosing a domain name. It is primarily for the trademark considerations that I give it the three star rating. While the Ronan's book on Domain Names (The Domain Name Handbook; High Stakes and Strategies in Cyberspace by Ellen Rony, Peter R. Rony) does a nice job on covering trademark history, this book does a better job from a "How-to" point of view, which is not surprising since it is published by an interesting publishing house, Nolo, which puts out lots of how-to law books. I expect to order more of these.

By my read, about 55 pages of the book are clearly related to domain names. The rest of the book is more related to trademark considerations. It's almost as if they took a book on trademarks and modified it and added the pages on domain names.

Since, if you screw up on a trademark factor with even a single domain name registration, it could cost you at least the $16 or less cost of a name registration, this book's $20 cost is well worth the investment and time persuing its detailed trademark coverage, to prevent running into trademark problems.

Rob Kall, author, domainnamereport

This nutshell is great, I learned more out of it than I did in my patent law class. I wish I had read it before I took the class, that way I'd have a better understanding of it, it explains the confusing concepts really well. It was a life-saver on the final exam, and I'm going to use it for my trademark law class next semester as well!!

The text was as described with no issues. The delivery was prompt and handled in a professional manner. I recommend this seller.

I don't know whether or why the 2d edition would be on sale, as the first reviewer implies in his or her nevertheless good review. The third edition has been out for two years and it is complete, accessible, understandable, and better than the competition--by far! If you want to understand patents, copyrights, trademarks, this book will make you an expert in an afternoon.

Like almost all hornbooks or outlines, this one glosses over Trademark law. Copyright, Patents, and Trademarks are all taught seperately, so I don't understand why they are lumped together and glossed over superficially by almost all hornbooks.

I only read the patent section, and have no knowledge of the other sections. However I have found the book to be entirely too superficial to be of any assistance. Additionally, at more than one occasion on topics that are fairly important, the information was just wrong. I have read the patent section of my IP supplements to prepare for the exam, and I by far recommend the IP hornbook. It's a little longer but WAY worth it over this book. If your library doesn't have a copy and it's too expensive for you, then try Examples and Explanations, but whatever you do, don't just rely on this book, you'll look like an idiot when you completely misstate some things. I mean 90 to 95% of it is right, I'm sure, but I'm going to get enough wrong on my own, I don't need help.