Should I join a BIG name company or a small research group with more experience exposure?

Congratulations on your dilemma! While not a legal question, let alone an IP question, you really need to consider what you want to use the...

Can I sell 50% ownership of a patent pending application that has been published but no office action yet?

You can, but (assuming a patent ultimately issues) there are legal issues regarding enforcement that could make it a bad idea to directly assign a...

If I use a word similar to a trademarked word is it trademark infringement in this scenario?

For this one, you really need to talk with a trademark attorney who can consider the specific names you are using and the trademarks of potential...

You can go here to do it: http://www.uspto.gov/web/patents/classification/selectnumwithtitle.htm Good luck.

Can you sue for infringement if the infringement took place before the patent was issued but after the date of application?

Absent more information, the general answer is a qualified yes. If a patent application publishes with claims that later issue, in the simplest...

Ok, to be more specific, I have made a model of the idea.

If you want to try and commercialize it yourself, you need to do what you can to raise the money to protect it. Then, see if it is something the...

What are the criteria for rights?

The question that you ask goes to the very fundamental principles underlying the U.S. Constitution and differs from that of many other countries. ...

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How does patenting an idea to design a product work?

I have tried to put this in layman's terms, so please understand that it is overly simplified. but designed to give you an overview answer. You...

Under a "first sale" type of analysis, in general, under U.S. Copyright law, you are free to cut pages out of a lawfully purchased physical copy of...

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If i have an idea how do i get a patent?

Note that the following is a simplified explanation designed to give you a sense of what is involved as you asked. Please consult a Patent...