An IP management tool for every business lifecycle stage
Your intellectual property (IP) strategy should adapt to every stage of your business lifecycle, from the startup phase through working with buyers and investors. This tool walks you through key IP considerations to help you achieve your business goals.
Intellectual property (IP) gives you control to decide who can do what with an invention, creation or brand. These rights vary in what they protect, for how long, and how strongly.
There are two types of IP, based on how strongly they protect your assets.
Copyrights and Trade secrets:
these rights do not provide protection against others independently developing the same creation or confidential information, but they do provide your business with the right to use and commercialize your assets.
Industrial designs, Trademarks, Patents and Utility models are considered stronger, as they protect your IP assets even when others independently come up or develop the same invention, mechanism or design.
IMAGE: LOREM IPSUM
Most businesses use a mix of IP rights
Your business is made of a number of valuable intangible assets, which can be protected with IP. In most cases, businesses use a mix of IP rights to protect each intangible asset.
IP gives you control to decide who can do what with an invention, creation or brand.
These rights vary in what they protect, for how long, and how strongly.
There are two types of IP, based on how strongly they protect your assets.
Copyrights and Trade secrets: these rights do not provide protection against others independently developing the same creation or confidential information, but they do provide your business with the right to use and commercialize your assets.
Industrial designs, Trademarks, Patents and Utility models are considered stronger, as they protect your IP assets even when others independently come up or develop the same invention, mechanism or design.
These rights also vary in terms of how long they provide protection for. Depending on the jurisdiction, lifetime of different IP rights will be:
Copyrights: creator’s life + approx. 50 years
Trade secrets: as long as it’s kept secret
Industrial designs: approx. 10 years
Trademarks: initially 10 years then for as long as it’s used
Patents and utility models: from 7 to 20 years
Align your business goals to an IP strategy that will strengthen your potential to grow and attract investors.
Some of your most valuable assets are what you create and what you invent. These can be protected through intellectual property (IP). Your business creates and uses IP every day.
Intellectual property can deliver value to your business in a number of ways.
More specifically IP can:
Enhance your competitive edge
Build your reputation
Secure market access and partners
Be a source of competitive intelligence
Create revenue streams
Provide access to financing and attract investors
Failing to align your business goals to an IP strategy may bring some risks to your company:
Others could gain market share, using the same strategy
You might have to completely rework your offering
You might have to pull your product from the market
You could owe damages that hurt your business or even take you out of the market
You could be forced to rebrand, costing time and money
