(IP) Intellectual Property Protection

Protecting the intellectual property (IP) of your business is often overlooked, but IP is usually at the very core of your business.

It usually defines your value proposition and your ability to continue to generate revenue.

Intellectual property represents the artistic, creative, and commercial developments of your company and is typically protected by state or federal laws.

However, some intellectual property is not automatically protected; you have to seek protection by registering the idea, process, or image with the government.

There are four main types of intellectual property protection:

1. Trademark – A trademark is IP protection used to prevent the image, logo, or identity of your business from being used by any other business entity. You can tell if a phrase or image has been trademarked by the ™ logo that appears next to it. By registering your logo, catch phrase, or image with a trademark, you protect your exclusive rights, preventing others from using the same (or similar) brand identity and making money off your creative ideas.
2. Copyright – A copyright, indicated with the symbol ©, protects written words, music, dance, art, and other forms of creative expression. Copyright laws vary by country but, for the most part, are internationally recognized. Technically, copyright is an automatic right – meaning that you do not have to apply for protection or register your work in order for it to be protected by the law; but having these measures in place will make it easier to prove your claim, should an infringement occur.
3. Trade Secret – Trade secrets and patents both protect unique ideas, recipes, and formulas from others. The difference between them is that trade secrets can last as long as the business does, and patents expire after a set period of time. Unfortunately, trade secrets are not protected at all if someone accidentally discovers them, so businesses typically protect their secrets by requiring employees to sign non-disclosure and non-compete contracts.
4. Patent – A patent is a legally recognized registration of intellectual property that gives a business exclusive rights to an idea for a set period of time. At the end of that period, the patent expires and anyone can use the idea for their own gain or profit. Patents are usually used to protect product ideas, manufacturing process improvements, and technological developments.

At Nnigma, we offer intellectual property protection services to help ensure that the ideas, images, creations, and processes developed by your business are secure.

We can help you navigate the legalities and provide templates for you to use in developing the proper security mechanisms.

Our services include:

1. Trademark research and registration consultation
2. Brand and image development services
3. Employer protection recommendations and NDA templates
4. IP analysis
5. Patent protection research
6. Patent attorney referrals

Your business has enough organic competition to deal with. You dont need to also deal with someone stealing your ideas and using them for their profit.

Protecting your research, development, and creations is critical in developing your overall image and identity, as well as your long-term survival.

If you have questions about IP Protection and how it relates to your business, give us a call or use our contact form and send us your question. We would love to speak with you.