Do you know what actually makes up your intellectual property?

Do you know if you actually own it?

Do you know if it is protected?

How do you ensure you protect and add value to your intellectual property?

Do not assume you own it, there are many unexpected traps you can fall in where even if you paid for it or a friend or even an employee created it for you. When you can prove you own it, there are still traps you can fall into where you can lose all your hard work, risk copy cats, risk brand/value damage and/or get involved in costly fights if you do not take active steps to ensure you protect it.

There are numerous ways to protect your intellectual property depending on your particular situation.
These can include:

• having in place legal documents:

  • that support and protect your ownership, intellectual property rights and confidentiality;

  • transfer ownership to your business or you as relevant;

  • set out others rights to access and/or use;

  • set out various protections and any indemnities against others causing you damage, expenses or loss;

• registrations, including Trade Mark registration, to get the best protection while increasing your business’s value; and

• notices for your protection and discourage others from infringing your rights.

Taking action now can save you against unnecessary costs, losses and tears, as well as increase the value in your business and make it easier to grow and/or potentially sell your business.