I am not just a kibble-eating poodle. I am a trademarked™—notice my byline—kibble-eating poodle. Pure blooded, I am a mix. I am both personal and intellectual property. My mistress and I went to Alexandria’s Patent and Trademark Office, the National Inventors Hall of Fame and Museum to learn more. Intellectual property is protected in one of four ways: patents, trademarks, trade secrets and copyrights. My stories; this story is copyrighted ©. Simply stated, I am a canine combo. Parker the dog is personal property, chattel. Like the slaves of yore, I sleep on the floor. I am owned by someone who leashes me. Parker A. Poodle™ the writer is an idea, an expression of my mistress’ emotion. I have a dog’s heart and a writer’s soul. More than a pet, I am my mistress’ imagination made real. Admittedly Parker the dog has a certain je ne sais quoi. I walk with a pedigreed prance, play with Potomac River fishermen, and enjoy cottage cheese with breakfast. I cuddle effortlessly, like a daring dog should. Nathan Poodle, now deceased, was the first dog in our family to publish. His sunglasses, my sunglasses, are distinctive if not trademark. In 2000 Nathan Poodle’s popularity was such that Southern Living magazine profiled his work. Work, in his case, implied original written compositions. Nathan’s Duck Walk to the River remains a regional classic. It was James Madison who, in 1787, asked the Constitutional Convention “to encourage…the advancement of useful knowledge and discoveries.” Article 1, Section 8:8 of the US Constitution states that “The Congress shall have the power to promote the progress of science and useful arts, by securing for limited times to authors and inventors the exclusive rights to their respective writings and discoveries.” Copyright protects the written work, also…