Intellectual property can range from logos and corporate identity to products, services and processes that differentiate your business from others. Virtually all businesses have undoubtedly benefited from the internet, where products, services and marketing communications can reach large audiences at relatively low costs; however, this has also increased the chances of intellectual property theft. Companies of all sizes are at risk of having their ideas, products or services infringed upon, even if they're on the other side of the world, making intellectual property protection more important than ever. Keep your ideas When you have a great idea for a good or service, there will always be those who will want to duplicate your success and sell your ideas as their own. You can use patents, trademarks or copyrights - all of which cover different areas of intellectual property. These can be used to prevent competitors or anyone else from using your ideas for their own gain without your permission. IP protection applies to businesses of all sizes; even huge corporations have had their ideas infringed upon and have made multi-million pound lawsuits. Protect business growth If you're a small business, it’s very important to protect any unique products or services that you own as competitors can use your success to take away market share, resulting in slow growth or loss of revenue. Losing market share early on in a business’s development can be devastating and time consuming if trying to chase up the guilty party without any legal protection. It’s important to remember that no one else will check to see if your intellectual property has been infringed; it’s your responsibility to ensure that no one else is using your assets. It’s easier than you think It may seem initially daunting or time consuming, but protecting your IP is well worth the time and effort and isn’t as difficult as you may think. Whilst you cannot protect an idea itself, can protect the means by which you put the idea into operation and this is what you would protect using Intellectual Property (IP). For copyright, there is no actual registration procedure to follow as protection is free and automatic. Although copyright does not actually protect an idea itself, it can protect the way the idea has been represented - for example brochures, presentations, websites, flyers etc. If you want to apply for a patent, registered design or trade mark this can be done through the UK intellectual property office, either on your own or if you wish to apply for a patent, together with a patent solicitor. If you want to know more about all areas of intellectual property, the Business & IP Centre has a number of business events and services that can help you find out which areas of your business you need to protect, and how to go about it. Law Office of William F. Ryann 314 E. Commerce St., Ste. 401 San Antonio, Tx 78205 P: (210) 277-1110 https://corridor-ip.com/
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