A patent is a grant by the government of the exclusive right to make, use, sell and offer for sale an invention covered by the patent. 

A design patent protects a new, original and ornamental design for an article of manufacture.  The life of a design patent is 14 years from the date of its grant. 

Utility patents protect any new and useful process (method), machine, manufacture or composition of matter.  For patents granted on patent applications filed after June 8, 1995, the term of a utility patent is 20 years from the filing date of the application (provided maintenance fees are paid). 

No.  The subject matter for which patent protection is sought must meet several statutory criteria.  Among these criteria, the claimed invention must be novel and nonobvious over the prior art.  The Patent Office will examine the application for patent to determine if its meets these and other criteria. 

A patentability search is a search for prior art for use in determining the likelihood that an invention is novel and nonobvious.  Generally, a patentability search is conducted before a patent application is filed and serves as an aid in determining whether or not to file an application.  Patent searches have many limitations, and as such, their results are most pertinent when one or more references are found which indicate that an invention is not novel or is obvious. 

There are several components to the cost of obtaining a patent.  First, there is the cost of preparing and filing the application for patent.  Second, there are costs associated with prosecuting the application (preparing and filing related papers with the Patent Office).  If the application is allowed, an issue fee must be paid to issue the patent.  If the issued patent is a utility patent, maintenance fees must be paid to keep the patent in force.  The cost of preparing and filing a patent application varies tremendously dependent upon such factors as the complexity and nature of the invention, the complexity and number of drawings needed, and the level of information provided about the invention. 

Copyrights are government granted rights in original works of authorship which are fixed in a tangible medium. 

Copyright rights vest when the work is completed.  However, in order to bring suit in court for violation of the rights, a copyright registration must be obtained. 

By filing the appropriate completed application for registration with the Register of Copyrights. 

A trademark is a word, logo or other indicator of the source of origin or sponsorship of a good or service. 

Trademark rights accrue simply by using the mark in commerce.  Rights may also be gained by obtaining a federal and/or state trademark registration. 

The cost depends primarily on the number of different classes of goods and services that the mark is (or is to be) used with and the cost of prosecuting the application.  Applications for federal registration are examined to determine that the application meets certain criteria, while state applications are often not examined to the same criteria. 

A trademark search may be useful in both identifying trademark rights belonging to others which might be asserted against you and for determining the likelihood that a registration will be granted on a filed application.

A trade secret is information which has value as a result of not being generally known or ascertainable by others.  In Nevada, trade secrets are protected by statutory law. 

Steps must be taken to keep the information secret in order to maintain trade secret rights in the information. A trade secrets program is one way of accomplishing this.