Scott J S
Health Prog. 1991 Mar;72(2):22-7.
Healthcare executives should have a working knowledge of intellectual property law--the legal principle that, for a limited period, treats intangible ideas and concepts as if they were products or property. Not only should administrators be aware of how to protect their facilities' patents, trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets, but they must also be sure that employees in their own facilities do not infringe on the intellectual property of others. A patent is granted when an inventor proposes a useful new process, machine, "article of manufacture," or composition of matter, including any new and useful improvement on existing items in these same categories. A trademark is a name, symbol, device, or combination thereof adopted and used by an institution to identify its goods or services and to distinguish them from its competitors' goods or services. Expressions of ideas and thoughts set forth in words, sentences, paragraphs, sketches, pictures, graphs, or any other means of conveying ideas or concepts commonly understood to be works of authorship--both published and unpublished--may be protected by a copyright. Trade secret law applies to those who might misappropriate information that has been given to them because of their special relationship with the holder of the trade secret (i.e., through employment, contract, or other fiduciary or trust relationship).
医疗保健行业的管理人员应该掌握知识产权法的实用知识——这一法律原则在有限的期限内将无形的想法和概念视为产品或财产。管理人员不仅要知道如何保护其机构的专利、商标、版权和商业秘密，还必须确保其机构内的员工不侵犯他人的知识产权。当发明家提出一种有用的新工艺、机器、“制造品”或物质组成，包括对这些相同类别的现有物品的任何新的有用改进时，就会授予专利。商标是一个机构采用并用于识别其商品或服务，并将其与竞争对手的商品或服务区分开来的名称、符号、标识或它们的组合。以文字、句子、段落、草图、图片、图表或任何其他传达思想或概念的方式阐述的思想和想法的表达，无论是已发表的还是未发表的，通常被认为是作者的作品，可能受到版权保护。商业秘密法适用于那些可能因与商业秘密持有人的特殊关系（即通过雇佣、合同或其他信托或信任关系）而不当获取所获信息的人。
