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American Know-How

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Invention, Innovation and Creativity are the subject of Patents, Trade Secrets, Copyrights and Trademarks. We understand that within each of us lies the creativity and imagination to solve almost any problem. Our own energy is our only limit! Within each of us lives an Inventor, a Builder, Scientist and Engineer. We are innovators. There isn't anything that we can't dream up and build. The United States has the world's best reputation for Innovation and Invention! We must also protect our creativity with a knowledge of the Law associated with Patents, Trade Secrets, Copyrights and Trademarks.

Our Product

Visit our Shopping Mall (AMAZON.COM Affiliate) to buy a copy of:  Patents and How to Get One. This book provides a thorough overview of the patent process and the US Patent and Trademark Office. It is wonderful for a beginner. There are ten pages alone dedicated to the specifications and limitations for drawings and photographs to put in a patent application. For someone who knows nothing about the process, this is a great introduction. It also refers to other publications by the government and locations to get samples of some of the forms.

Visit our Shopping Mall (AMAZON.COM Affiliate) to buy a copy of:  Patent Copyright and Trademark. Intellectual property law is more than merely a specialty of interest to lawyers; it's supremely relevant to writers, musicians, and inventors, designers, artists, and programmers--anyone who creates something that can and ought to be protected against unauthorized use. Attorney Stephen Elias accomplishes a number of worthy goals in his desk reference. He introduces and explains the concepts and issues involved in intellectual property, then delves into the thick of Trade Secret Law, Copyright Law, Patent Law, and Trademark Law, defining terms, citing (and explaining) important statutes, and providing sample forms. Accessible to the novice yet rigorously detailed for use with specific clauses in specific contracts, Elias's work demystifies intellectual property law and levels the legal playing field.

From Idea to Invention : Course Materials for Teaching Invention and Innovation

Visit our Shopping Mall (AMAZON.COM Affiliate) to buy a copy of:  From Idea to Invention. Written and compiled by teachers and experts, FROM IDEA TO INVENTION includes information for teachers and students, extensive resource lists, and hands-on activities. If you'd like to add topics of Invention,  Innovation and Entrepreneurship to your curriculum, than this 100-plus page handbook is for you! Written in friendly, conversational style the handbook is suitable for students of all ages. It can be used as an additional resource for established curricula or as a tool for developing new programs. 

Background

Human Beings have made tools to build homes, machines, bridges, roads, structures, transportation devices etc. to take us to the moon and beyond. All of these things were created from ideas in a person's head! What is this thing called Know-How, Innovation and Invention?

First let us look up the word Know-How; from Merriam-Webster:
    "knowledge of how to do something smoothly and efficiently"

Now let us look at the word Innovation:
    "a new idea, method, or device"

Now let us look at the word Invention:
    "a product of the imagination, a device, contrivance, or process originated after study and experiment"

From the above definitions it is clear that this process results in the creation of a device, process or idea that has never before manifested itself to other Human Beings. This ability to be Creative allows Human Beings to move far beyond what Mother Nature has placed in our genes or in this Universe before each individual's existence.

Couple the Creativity of a Human Being with a Social System that supports Human Freedom and you have a powerful combination. “The unique American formula of individual Liberty and free enterprise has cultivated risk taking, experimentation, innovation, and scientific exploration on a grand scale that has never occurred anywhere before.” See our Competition Page.

Further Study

Capturing the full potential of Innovation and Invention requires a Political and Social System that allows Innovators and Inventors to benefit from their new ideas and creations. The protection of Intellectual Property and Inventions must be provided or we take most of the energy out of the entire creative process. Copyrights, Trademarks, Patents etc. all provide protection for the person who creates. See our Links below for additional information in these areas. 

Additional Links

There are many resources on the Internet; some are provided below:

U.S. Patent and Trademark Office 
U.S. Copyright Office
Invention Dimension 
Invention Machine 
Innovation Center 
The Future and Innovation Unit 
Invention Convention 

Traditions:

Freedom 
1.History
2.Flag
3.Declaration
4.Constitution
5.Bill of Rights
6.American Eagle
7.Ceremonies

Family
1.Weddings
2.Anniversaries
3.Family Meal
4.Window Candle
5.Children 
6.Yellow Ribbon 
7.Values 
8.Flowers 
9.The Recipe Box

American Culture
1.Holidays
2.Craftsmanship
3.Entrepreneurship
4.Leadership
5.Know-How
6.Competition
7.Cost of Living
8.Citizenship
9.Careers

This Web Site is the intellectual property of American Family Traditions. Some of the information provided is general knowledge and some is the original work of American Family Traditions. Permission must be requested to use or reproduce any of its contents to ensure fairness. Footnotes have been provided where appropriate to give credit to the work of others and to ensure you get permission from those sources.
Copyright ©  2000-2007 American Family Traditions. All Rights Reserved.
Last updated February 24, 2008
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