The world is driven by change and innovation. People and businesses are putting in a lot of effort to create fresh business plans, smart strategies, and innovative ideas. These aim to simplify how things work inside a company and boost its progress. If someone creates something good, others try and copy the same. However, this is like taking the rewards of someone who has invested a lot of effort and time in coming up with an invention without his consent.
This is where intellectual property (IP) rights come in. It is the area of law that revolves around the protection of the original works of individuals and organizations and their rights. The goal of this protection is to motivate people to create new technologies and innovations for the benefit of society.
Avoiding Intellectual Property Violations
It can cost businesses a lot owing to their violation of IP rights. This makes it imperative for businesses to make sure that they are not using protected content in a way that violates the law. The best way to ensure that a particular design, logo, product, or brand name is not already registered is by cross-checking with the database of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. As far as safeguarding your IP rights is concerned, the following strategies are surely going to help you with that.
Strategies to Safeguard Your IP from Infringement
There is no denying that copyrights and patents offer security up to a certain level, but there are various other strategies that can help you foolproof your individual creation:-
1. Limit the Exposure Level
At the core of infringement lies an attraction to new technical innovations, product designs, logos, and the like. By reducing exposure to your inventions, you can deter potential copiers. While Digital Rights Management systems and traditional methods offer protection, these creative strategies can also be highly effective.
2. Ensure Registering the Specific IP Protection
In order to safeguard your invention to the maximum level, it is imperative to choose the right protection for registration:-
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Copyright Registration
This type of protection not only ensures your right to sue infringers but also collects the fees of the attorneys and the cost of damages.
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Application for a Patent or Provisional Patent
This type of protection allows you to have the right to make use of the patent-pending designation. This, in turn, discourages people from coming up with an innovative product that won’t be in use for them for a long time.
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Trademark Registration
You must have seen the R symbol on various logos. It is an example of a trademark registration that allows you to use the same, along with letting people know of your legal rights at the same time.
Apart from this, registering within one year of a marketing campaign and renewing a trademark timely is essential.
3. Consider Foreign Registration
You never know how your business will scale in the coming times, and if it does, you will need a strong marketing campaign to flourish in foreign countries, along with registering your IP. Most countries accept U.S. registration; however, when expanding internationally, consider researching the specific country’s registration process and requirements.
- Most countries will require you to file for patent protection within a 1-year time period from the time of your invention disclosure.
- In some countries, it is mandatory to file for patent protection before going all out in public with your new product.
- Some nations require you to include with your trademark more than a mere R symbol.
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4. Opt for a Contract of Ownership
In many startups, owners heavily depend on independent contractors to fuel business growth. One critical mistake to avoid is neglecting formal contracts in this scenario.
Creating a standard contract is crucial to protect your intellectual property (IP). Clearly state the ownership of rights to avoid future fees for complete rights.
5. Focus on Publishing it Widely with Attribution
Patent filing clearly means that you were the first to file your patent and is also considered to be one of the best ways to ensure the secrecy of your non-trade IP. However, another effective method of achieving the same is to publish it wherever possible with a reference so that anywhere your invention gets mentioned, your company’s name is attributed to it.
6. Tight Security Controls
One of the most common ways of losing your trade secrecy to someone is by having poor security controls in place. Things like cyberattacks and system hacks often pave the way for a data breach and access to sensitive information. So, make sure you prepare yourself against such challenges by installing tight security controls in your computer systems, such as intrusion detection systems, security monitors, defensive firewalls, and more.
7. Leverage Intellectual Property Tools
There are multiple tools that are available in the market for tracking IP stores and documents, with loss prevention (DLP) tools being the primary ones. They have this amazing ability not only to locate documents that are sensitive but also to track which document is being used by whom and, most importantly, how.
Apart from this, IP encryption also brings down the loss risk at large. As per the Egress survey, data clearly shows that only 36% of businesses need encryption when sharing sensitive data internally, and only 21% require it when sharing externally.
8. Have a Counter-Intelligence Mindset
Just get in the shoes of a hacker or sensitive information thief. Try to think of the ways these guys might use in order to achieve success in knowing your trade secrets. With this mindset, you can enhance IP protection by involving internal teams to approve R&D scientist publications, securely manage recycling bin papers, safeguard phone lists, and more.
Some Additional Precautions
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Create Original ad Music or Images
When looking to launch an ad campaign, make sure original work is performed by freelancers and in-house staff for music, images, and more. In the case of freelancers, ensure having a proper contract in place.
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Leverage Royalty-Free Media
Royalty-free things online have proved to be a blessing for people as it offers great flexibility in terms of IP. However, it is recommended that the original creator be given credit.
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Obtain the Appropriate Copyright Holders’ Licenses
If you plan to use registered material, ensure you obtain licenses and written permissions from the copyright holders to prevent future conflicts.
Conclusion
In summary, patents, licenses, and copyrights are key for safeguarding your intellectual property. However, tailor your strategy based on your IP protection needs, utilizing a combination of these approaches for comprehensive security against infringement.
Do you think that your valuable business data, especially legal data, needs more data security owing to the latest cyber threats and system hacks? If yes, the expert team of Legal Support World can help you with that.
We have been providing proficient, secure, and cost-effective Legal Support Services to firms worldwide since 2008. Get in touch with us for a free trial today!
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