Desiging a product is hard work - the result of training, experience and the creative process. You also must be a smart businessperson exploring creative alternatives to keep your cost to market low.
设计一件产品是非常头疼的事情，因为这个过程需要不断的调试，使用和创新。你也必须拥有出色的经商实力，才能探索更多创新的选择可能以保持低水平的成本支出。

After you take so much time bringing your idea to life, it is vexing beyond belief when you discover your arts/crafts design or promotional copy is stolen. In the arts and crafts world, imitation is not the most sincere form of flattery; it’s a potential drain on your gross income and your ability to support yourself.
当你已经花费了这么多时间才能好点子应用到生活当中，然而最让人心烦意乱的，也是最让人无法接受的事情，便是发现自己的商品设计或宣传样品被剽窃了。在艺术的圈子里，模仿不是对原作的最真诚的致敬，而是潜在的使你的收入和支持流失的缺口。

Want to fight back? To follow are legal ways to protect your intellectual property.
想要还击吗？下面这几种法律上的方法，就能帮助你保护自己的知识产权。

1.  Copyrights
1. 著作权

The most relevant aspect of copyrights for arts/crafts businesses is that they protect the written word. We sell to customers that they have the alternative of purchasing mass produced items at any discount department store. A good part of our appeal is the story that goes behind each of our products. Sometimes it takes me a few hours to be completely happy with a description for a new product.
艺术或工业设计商业中的著作权，其中与其最相关的一个方面便是保护文字著作。我们向客户说明，他们享受在百货公司以任意的折扣购买大宗商品的权利。我们推销的好处之一，在于这个说明适用于我们每一件商品。有时候还会让笔者为新的产品的简介兴奋了好一阵子。

Your arts/crafts ideas and designs aren't protected by the copyright law, although the way in which they are expressed may be - thus the importance of protecting your written word. The written word is automatically copyrighted for the life of the author plus seventy years. However to perfect your copyright, it must be registered. 
尽管它们所呈现的方式与其他形式的版权很相像，但你的艺术/工艺点子和设计并不受版权法的保护，所以你很有必要保护你的文字著作。文字著作自产生后就会跟随着作者并能再延长七十年的期限。无论你的著作多么完美无瑕，它都应该受到注册保护。

2.  Trademarks
2. 商标

A trademark is a unique symbol, word, or phrase that identifies your product. Two symbols designate a trademark. One is ™ and the other is an R inside a circle ®. Of the two, only the ® indicates that a formal registration with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has been completed.
商标是独一无二的符号标志，词汇，或任何能够识别你的产品的短语。两个符号就能形成一个商标符号。其中一个就是™，而另外一个就是在圆圈里的字母R-®。在这两个符号当中，只有®表示通过了美国的正式专利注册，并被商标局所完善的商标符号。

One arts and crafts business example is Tiffany & Company designer Elsa Peretti®. She trademarks both the name of her designs such as Diamonds by the Yard® and her actual name. There are a few criteria for a phrase being eligible for trademark protection. One is that it must be unique. For example, the term facial tissue is not unique but Kleenex® is. 
有一个工艺领域的商标例子，Tiffany & Company的设计师Elsa Peretti®, 她的个人商标结合了自己的设计（比如Yard®的Diamonds）和她自己真实的名字。对于合法的商标保护也有几个文字选择的标准。其中一个就是商标必须是独一无二的，比如“面纸”这个词语并不是独一无二的，而Kleenex®才是。

3.  Licensing
3. 授权

One day you get a thrilling telephone call – a manufacturer wants to license one of your arts/crafts products and mass-produce it under their company name. This is a great way to make money but there are many different issues you need to address when licensing your design. For example, will you receive artist credit? How are you to do paid – a flat fee for the design or royalties based upon sales? What about any non-compete clauses?
某天，你收到了一个让你激动不已的电话——一位制造商希望拥有一件你所涉及的工艺产品并以他的公司名义对其进行大量生产。这是一个难得的赚钱机会，然而却有很多你需要注意的关于设计授权的事宜。例如，你会不会收到一份艺术家的信贷？你将如何获得酬劳——如果是建立于促销减价而获得的设计或版权的固定收入？如果还有一些不完备的条文呢？

Due care must be taken to weigh all aspects of the contract to make sure you’re not actually losing money by licensing your product. 
确确实实需要考虑衡量合约中的任何细节，确保你不会因为授权产品而造成不必要的资金流失。

4.  Patents
4. 专利

Patent protection has been available to artisans since the late 1800s to protect both the ornamental or surface design of the product and also how the product works. In order to receive a design patent you must have invented an arts/crafts design that has a ‘new, original, and ornamental design for an article of manufacture’.
自19世纪末，专利保护机制已经在产品的装饰、表面设计以及产品操作方式方面为艺术工匠提供保障。如果你想要获得一份设计专利的证明，你的作品必须符合“新颖，原创以及具有观赏性的产品”的规定。

The patent approval process usually take quite a while. Most arts/crafts businesses will be better served by copyrighting their work. However, this is a complex subject that is best discussed with your attorney should you think you may benefit from seeking a design patent.
专利审批流程一般需要好一段时间。大多数的工艺企业都会通过保护版权以获得更好的回报。尽管如此，这也是一件相当复杂的事情，最佳的方法还是应该与你的律师讨论，这样你才能从获取设计专利中获益。

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