Intellectual property can be a tricky thing– and it’s something that most people might not think too much about until it becomes an issue.

We’re here to remind you that you should fully understand the concept of intellectual property– and how to protect yours– as soon as possible. With a good understanding of the issue and a solid plan in place in the event of a problem, you’ll save yourself a lot of potential stress and frustration.

What exactly is intellectual property?

The definition of intellectual property is nebulous– it’s a little hard to define. However, it can essentially be summed up as the result of your creativity or intellect.

Some examples of intellectual property include things like manuscripts or similar written materials, designs (blueprints, logos, etc.), inventions, and trade secrets.

Intellectual property is something that you created as a result of your knowledge, talent, creativity, or experience. It’s something that you worked hard on. And because of that, it’s something that you definitely don’t want anyone else to steal or adopt for themselves.

How can intellectual property affect my business?

You already know that you’re full of good ideas. You’ve been working in your industry for a while now, and have accumulated plenty of professional experience and knowledge along the way.

The things you write, design, or invent are a result of all of that knowledge and experience.

Coming up with a quality patent, design, or copyright– and protecting it– can help your small business gain major recognition within your industry. If you’re doing something that no one else has done, people are bound to take notice.

You just have to make sure that everyone is aware that your inventions are yours.

What is intellectual property theft?

A good (and unfortunately, all-too-common) example of intellectual property theft is when a large corporation takes something that an artist or small business has created, markets it as their own, and profits off of it.

If you happen to follow any artists or creators on social media, you may have seen some examples of this. It’s a common practice for fast fashion corporations to steal designs from small creators. If those creators don’t have a plan in place to protect their work, there’s often nothing they can do– especially in the face of the legal budget that a massive corporation has.

Intellectual property theft disproportionately affects small businesses and independent creators. After all, your designs and ideas are your livelihood. If someone else steals them and makes a profit off of them, they’re receiving income that should, rightfully, belong to you.

How can I protect my intellectual property?

The best line of defense against intellectual property theft is to hire an attorney.

An attorney specializing in intellectual property law will be able to help you file patents and copyrights to protect your work in the eyes of the law, preventing others from profiting off of your work and industry knowledge.

An attorney will also be able to help you secure proper licensing for all of your work– ensuring that anyone who uses your intellectual property does so legally, with proper credit and compensation given to you.

If you run a small business and want to protect your intangible assets against intellectual property theft, Davidson Law Firm should be your first call. We’ve got forty years of legal experience, and we know our way around the relevant intellectual property laws. Our goal is to protect your hard work, allowing your business to receive the recognition you deserve.