Intellectual Property Protection

Coming up with a great idea is not enough. You must also defend the results of your creativity—your intellectual property—from improper use by others. This section explains the important concept of intellectual property (IP) and the process by which you can legally protect it. Intended particularly for small-business entrepreneurs and solo inventors, this section breaks down into simple terms the complexities of patent, trademark, copyright, and trade secrets law.

Intellectual property is a specialized area of law designed to encourage creativity and fair competition in the marketplace. It fosters creativity by assigning ownership rights in a new innovation to the individual(s) who risked time and capital to create it.

While this section covers the major topics in IP law, it must not be considered legal advice and is not intended to be a substitute for professional counsel. Instead, this section is designed merely as an introduction to what is involved in protecting your IP rights. Professional counsel should be sought out to deal with your specific issues.