WHAT. What is Intellectual Property?: Intellectual Property Defined. What is 'copyright'? What are the four main types of Intellectual Property?: Intellectual Property Defined. What is a 'patent'? What is a 'trade mark'? What works does copyright protect?: Copyrights. What are 'design rights'? WHY. Why use Intellectual Property?
Intellectual property (IP) is any form of original creation that can be bought or sold - from music to machinery. The four main types of IP rights are patents, trade marks, designs and copyright but there are many other ways to protect your IP. How to use IP? Find out what you need to think about from the beginnings of an idea to starting a new business and marketing / manufacturing your product or service. Shape IP Policy Tell us what you think IP should look like through our consultations. Fast Facts Patents protect the processes that make things workTrade marks protect logos that distinguish goods and servicesDesigns protect the look of three-dimensional shapesCopyright protects material only when it is written down or recorded. HOW. How and when should I use IP? There are many simple and cost effective ways of protecting your ideas and your business.
The information below shows you what you need to think about from the beginnings of an idea to starting a new business and marketing and manufacturing your product or service. New idea Search for existing patentsYou can use the free patents database to check whether your idea already exists or identify existing technology to help develop your own. Development phase LicensingYou may need to licence-in other people’s technology to help you develop your idea, either from a University or another businessPartnersCollaboration with other businesses or educational organisations can be vital to the development phase. IP protection (pre-market entry stage) TechnologyYou are developing your technology but how should you protect it?
Starting a business? Business nameJust because you have registered your company name with Companies House, doesn’t mean it is protected. IP Protection (Market entry stage) Copyright quiz.