Every business starts out from an idea. No matter where you are in the stage of solidifying your business idea or executing your business plan, intellectual property is a substantial part of the plan and you want to timely and correctly protect this valuable asset, especially as you try to get your endeavor off the ground by marketing and advertising your product or service.
Your Options with Intellectual Property Protection
What elements of intellectual property do you want to consider? Firstly, you should definitely be concerned about getting your brand name out there to represent your business. You need something unique and memorable that embodies your idea. A brand name with certain designs or logos is what you want to come up with. Uniqueness means that there is no one using a similar brand name or brand logo in the marketplace. This would trigger a likelihood of confusion and potentially dilute the effectiveness of your brand. Trademark registration is critical at the start of your business. The process of trademark protection provides a recourse in the instance of infringement and also it helps to insulate you from accidentally infringing on the brand name of another because you were unaware of their existence. This is vital because the standard for infringement is not exact duplication, but the likelihood of brand confusion.
Trademarks
Once your small business has a trade name that you intend to use, it is time to apply for a trademark registration. A trademark can be a word, symbol, and/or design used by its owner to distinguish its products or services and identify the source of your goods or services. Registered trademarks give exclusive rights to the owner to use that mark and defend against infringement. For small businesses that operate locally, you may only have to register your trademark on the state or (and) federal level. However, since the internet makes all things global you may have to consider international protection.
With respect to the timing with trademarks, small business owners may believe they cannot get a trademark application on file until they actually use the mark. In fact, you may file what is known an intent-to-use trademark application at any time as long as you have a bona fide intent to use the mark in commerce. This can help you establish a record that you are the first user of the mark, which is extremely important for potential disputes between two users on who gets the prevailing right to use the mark.
Copyright
When you launch your website copyright comes in to play. It is important to understand that copyright protection rests with the creator of the work; so if you hire a graphic designer, writer or copy editor, you should ensure that your agreement with them specifies that they provided “work for hire” and that you are the owner of all intellectual property resulting from their effort. If you are the originator of your content, copyright protection comes inherently in your original writings or any other forms of creations. As long as your content is original enough and it is of a tangible expression, you have exclusive right granted by law for protection of your work.
Thirdly, what is the value proposition of your business? Whether it is a core technology, a formula, your secret ingredient, or a certain design that makes your product so recognizable be sure to explore whether that value proposition can be protected. Consider patent, trade secret or trade dress protections, all are essential elements of brand protection.
For example, if you are in a wearable technology related business, the patent is the engine for the funding and execution at later stages. Registering a patent helps to protect your invention and ultimately helps you maximize your business value by making licensing deals. Since March 16, 2013, the United States has shifted from a “first-to-invent” patent system to a “first-inventor-to-file” (or “first-to-file”) system. Make sure that you turn your idea to something you can file timely, and you may also ask for legal assistance from a patent attorney to help you solidify your invention and file it correctly.
Protecting your intellectual property positions your business for lucrative licensing opportunities. Trademarks, Patents and Copyrights can be all be subject to use licenses. Licensing allows you to expand the reach of your brand and operates to create both passive income and generational wealth.
Protecting your intellectual property rights in any size of business is a long-term but rewarding process. Brand policing after registration is extremely important, not only to help maintain the good standing of your brands, but also lay a great foundation for your business to take off and grow.
About the author: Aurelia Mitchell Durant, Esquire is the Senior Managing Partner of AMD LAW. AMD LAW specializes in international business law and intellectual property law. Sindy Ding-Voorhees is an associate with AMD LAW.
Thanks for finally talking about >How and When to Protect Your Intellectual Property in Your Small Business
Guest Articles, Your Small Business SucceedAsYourOwnBoss.com <Liked it!
Thanks Roscoe. Glad you liked it.
-Melinda
What a fantastic resource! I love that you’ve applied this in practical terms as to when/where these facets of IP apply to a business. It’s so easy to get lost in all of the technicalities! Do you have any recommendations on further reading on this topic? I’ve found a few so far, like this one – http://everedgeip.com/info/intellectual-property/ – but am curious if there are any others that would make that next step easier? Thanks!
Emily–
You might reach out to the author of this post.
-Melinda