This page explains the six most common intellectual property (IP) rights tools and strategies, including patents – and then some…
If your business needs patents in its asset and product protection strategy, you should not dismiss the other IP tools and strategies since they can often bolster your protection and be combined with the strategic use of patents.
On the other hand, if patents are irrelevant to your business because you don’t invent patentable matter, you likely have 4-5+ other IP tools and strategies, which are valuable on their own. I cover most of them in more detail and with templates and frameworks for using them in your workflows through my knowledge-based offers in the shop.
If you would like to check out how they match with different professions, a separate page explains who can benefit from these resources and how your strategy could look.
To safeguard your business and secure its future, it is absolutely critical to take proactive steps against potential threats—such as unauthorized copies or misuse by collaboration partners during confidential projects.
Discover the powerful tools designed to protect your interests and ensure a trustworthy collaboration below.
Patents are robust intellectual property (IP) that can protect your inventions. It’s important to understand that patents safeguard tangible inventions, not mere ideas. For clarity, check out the article “What is a Patent, Invention, or Idea?“
Inventions solve technical or functional challenges. If your creation involves mechanics, components, ingredients, or innovative combinations, it may qualify for patent protection, covering essential mechanical, chemical, and biological solutions.
Securing patent protection can exclude competitors from the market and capitalize on your invention, leading to substantial business success. I share some statistics about how even small and medium-sized businesses benefit from patents, e.g., by attracting funding.
Patents are not just for large players with large budgets; Larsen & Birkeholm offer practical support for EU and Danish funding applications: LINK.
I will also cover the topic in my upcoming patent course, “idearlify® From Idea to Patent,” there will be lessons and helpful lists with links for budgeting your patent costs, so check the shop regularly to see if the course has been made available.
Please note that patents are not the right tool to protect your brand (words, images, and content in general, name, etc.) or the look of your product. Check the following boxes for these elements, highlighting other IP tools that are the better – or correct match – for those assets.
Design protection, also called design patents, is available in some countries but not all. This protection protects products’ unique look and feel, such as the shape of furniture or the texture of a special grip glove. It can apply to both three-dimensional and two-dimensional designs with distinct appearances.
If you create apps with unique interfaces or design items like pots, pans, furniture, or clothing, design protection could benefit your business. This protection is usually less expensive than utility patents, making it a good investment.
For more information, a blog post explains the differences between copyright and design protection.
European businesses can apply for partial cost coverage for registering European design.
You probably heard that Coca-Cola story about their trade secrets. And what about Wrigley’s or the makers of the Mars bar?
Although Trade Secrets are not an official intellectual property right, they are essential in your “protection toolbox.”
Before you have a plan for your asset, product, and business strategy, protection and keeping things secret are not just for big players—they’re often at least as important, if not more important, for small players, e.g., starting a collaboration with more significant partners.
Trade Secrets are potent protectors of your competitive edge—if you keep them 100% secret.
So be careful when you’re networking. Read this blog post for five strategies to do so.
Trademark copy protection can play a profound role in your brand recognition- and its protection.
Imagine a competitor latching on to your brand identity, business, and product names. This could confuse your customers and make you look like collaboration partners, the same business, or you like the one that copied someone else.
Trademarks are perfect for achieving exclusive rights to use words, figures, and sounds, such as your logo, company name, or trademark.
Did you know that European businesses can receive partial cost coverage for registering European trademarks?
Copyrights are automatically applied to artistic or written work products almost worldwide from the second the work exists, even if they are not declared or registered. Here’s the list of countries part of the Bern Convention, which facilitates this recognition of copyrights across country borders: LINK.
Many people know about copyright, but not everyone understands it completely. This can lead to unintentional mistakes, especially among entrepreneurs, business owners, and professionals.
I have, and I regret it.
I didn’t think about the consequences. Each time I used someone else’s text or slides, I took away a chance for that person or business to sell their work or improve their position in the market. I did this to help myself because it seemed faster or easier.
I don’t like that anymore (of course), and I suggest you don’t do anything else. Ask for permission instead (also when you want to use my free or paid content).
Copyright protects your original work, such as text, graphics, videos, and your unique tone of voice—your business’s personality.
There is some overlap between design protection and copyright. It’s important to know which option works best for you. You can read more about this for free here.
Marketing Acts, Competition laws, and Privacy Laws can make any entrepreneur or business owner sweat. This is especially true if someone confronts you with something you did that breaks these laws.
However, often, they are implemented to protect the consumer and, therefore, require certain fair behaviors when we act as businesses. Roughly put, these laws are in place so that the consumer has the chance to make informed decisions based on fair information.
They are not as well-known to be helpful in your IP strategy because they are not intellectual property rights, but they are worth utilizing, understanding, and complying with.
Not knowing IPRs and consumer-protecting laws relevant to businesses can lead to one of these nine mistakes.
The trick is understanding how publication has many uses in the intellectual property (IP) world. But you also have to know what you are doing so it suits your business development plans and growth or sales strategy and does not harm it.
Similar to Trade Secrets, publishing is not an official intellectual property right —but it is the complete opposite of keeping something secret.
Why is this important? Everything that has been shown or used in public can not be kept secret, and in most cases, it also ruins your chances of getting your invention patented or design protected.
So, it can play a role in your IP strategy. Stay tuned for a blog-post on this.
Initially, it can be a steep learning curve, so I have prepared more free resources for you to get direction because you and your business are worth it.
→ Let me show you more about where I would start based on the type of product you create, develop, or improve!
It’s a common misconception that mastering intellectual property rights is tedious and only for large, renowned businesses. In reality, you have the power to safeguard your creations without needing a degree or extensive expertise.
So long as you consider it valuable to invest resources, such as time and money, into your business, you should at least minimize the risk that someone can take it away from you quickly. If you treat your work respectfully, it’s much more likely that others will, too.
You’ve heard it many times and probably said it yourself: You have to start to become good at something, and mastering IP rights takes some practice. So, don’t wait too long.
My services help you use tools in your business to create opportunities and protect your creations. I’m here to explain intellectual property rights, like patents, trademarks, and copyrights, which are the foundation of my business.
I offer services to help you develop an IP strategy tailored to your business. I also provide an easy introduction to intellectual property to help you decide when to explore different areas.
Investing in PATENTsmarter™ and my services is wise, even if you work with patent or IP lawyers. By clearly defining your needs before collaborating, you can improve efficiency, and when you need to implement their advice – sometimes a helping hand is golden!
Maximize your investment for successful results.
Courses, Events, and Workshops are available as pre-planned structured knowledge products online (Zoom meetings) and/or offline (small groups at my office or a pre-booked meeting venue in Denmark). Associated content is available through the online platform and your account.
If you need more specific details, such as your access duration and specific topic or structure, make sure to read the product description thoroughly.
Depending on your needs, we can plan a IP project, course or workshop within your budget together – or choose a less structured approach with individual Sparring Session or Sparring bundle bookings.
Read the product description thoroughly if you need more details, such as your access duration and particular topic or structure.
Book a free 15-minute call with me to discuss your next steps, with me as your sparring partner. It’s a fantastc opportunity that can get you started faster than you may think.
If you have already booked that free session, you can still book a 20-minute sparring session with me instead.
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I’m based in Copenhagen, Denmark but work with clients around the globe.
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