ISA NEWS RELEASE
Contact:  Jennifer Infantino
(919) 990-9287
jinfantino@isa.org

ISA Publishes New Reference Written by U.S. Patent Attorney

Research Triangle Park, NC (23 June 2008) -- ISA announces the publication of Patents, Trademarks, Copyrights, and Trade Secrets: What Automation Professionals, Manufacturers, and Business Owners Need to Know by Wendy Buskop, J.D.

This book was written with the automation professional in mind. It educates the reader about the benefits of patents, trademarks, copyrights, and/or trade secret and licensing agreements. Equipment, meters, tools, software, technology, chemical formulations, connectors, controllers, sensors, pumps, engines, their components, and other related devices are typically the intellectual property of the individual, company, or group who created them. The book will help owners, managers, and inventors understand the various types of intellectual property, how to protect the property, retain it as an asset, and respect the intellectual property of others.

Automation professionals, manufacturers, and business owners need to protect inventions, ideas, and services created within the workplace.
The book's non-legal style provides insight into the types of products and services that fall into the category of intellectual property. The basics of obtaining, maintaining, and protecting intellectual property are highlighted in this primer written especially for the automation industry.

Wendy Buskop, J.D. is a licensed U.S. Patent Attorney, practicing before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, the U.S. Supreme Court, and in the states of Texas and Michigan. She has written and/or supervised thousands of patent filings and cases since 1980. Buskop has worked with various technology and automation clients, including NASA contractors providing services and products for the Space Shuttle, as well as numerous Fortune 500 companies. You can visit with Ms. Buskop and members of her firm on the exhibition floor at ISA EXPO 2008 in Houston, TX., 14-16 October. 

According to Buskop, four million patents were issued between 1956 and 2007. The book mentions numerous types of meters, monitoring systems, other related patents issued during that period. She says that most patents start with an idea, "at least one sentence and a discussion with a patent attorney." Buskop states that patents are not just great ideas; they are ideas that automation professionals, managers, and inventors can use to build assets, create marketing tools and expand market share, facilitate claiming research and development tax credits, and to create revenue through licensing and trade agreements.

For more information about this resource, visit www.isa.org/patent or call (919) 549-8411.


About ISA

Founded in 1945, ISA (www.isa.org) is a leading, global, nonprofit organization that is setting the standard for automation by helping over 30,000 worldwide members and other professionals solve difficult technical problems, while enhancing their leadership and personal career capabilities. Based in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, ISA develops standards; certifies industry professionals; provides education and training; publishes books and technical articles; and hosts the largest conference and exhibition for automation professionals in the Western Hemisphere. ISA is the founding sponsor of The Automation Federation (www.automationfederation.org).