Any individual can fall victim of being robbed of a novel idea especially when it is a business idea that can bring in money. Indeed, the amount of time a company invests in strengthening its reputation, and the resources it infuses to innovate, can be crushed in a matter of seconds with IP infringement.
It is therefore important to protect ideas and products through several available methods.
You can use various options of infringement protection to avoid tears. Some protection methods are listed below:
Patents: This is a right granted by the government of a particular country to stop other companies from manufacturing, selling or using a business’ apparatus, design or software. The assurance can be achieved by filing an application with the Patent and Trademark Office of the country. The patent is issued after verifying its ingenuity. The process takes approximately two years. Once the patent is issued, you can prosecute or prevent others from copying your invention.
Trademarks: This is a symbol or notation that specifically identifies and differentiates a company’s product in the market. To establish the ownership of a trademark, it is customary to initially use it during the commercial sale of goods and services, followed by prompt filing of the application at the Trademark Office. Upon confirmation of the similarity of the mark, the official registration will be granted.
Copyrights: This impedes the duplication of any writing, artwork and computer program. The copyright for creation exists as soon as it’s created. However, if the work is disclosed in the public arena without proper notice – the symbol ©, the year it was publicized, the name of the owner, and the ownership can be forfeited. Pre or post-publication, copyright can be federally registered by applying to the Copyright Office.
Trade Dress & Unfair Competition Law: This is a protective law meant to safeguard r goods and services, known as “trade dress & unfair competition law”. “Trade dress” here implies the distinctive way products are “dressed” – packaging, labels and colours. This law henceforth shields the product against unauthorized copying of design and ornamentation. Designs that fail to gain protection via trademark are sometimes encompassed by this law.
Trade Secrets: Trade secrets are documents and information that a company keeps confidential from outsiders. The information is not disclosed during sale or advertisement of the products or services. Blueprints, recipes and customer lists belong to this category. Maintaining this secrecy is essential as protecting a company’s trade secret can prevent unlawful disclosure, acquisition, and use of the company’s trade secret by other companies.
All these tools are legal and important in protecting ideas and products from marketplace predators.
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