Intellectual Property

The success of your business is likely the result of a unique invention, hard earned identity, or creative work. In order to prevent others from profiting from your intellectual property you should take steps protect yourself through a copyright, trademark, or patent filing. A copyright protects original creative works such as books, music and art from unauthorized reproduction and derivative use. The distinctive use of symbols, logos, phrases, or look and feel that identifies a product, service, or business is eligible for trademark protection. A patent is the exclusive right granted to an inventor to use, make, and sell an invention for a fixed period of time.

Intellectual property claims are complex and it is highly advisable to seek the advice of a legal professional in pursuit of such claims.

For more information about how to secure your intellectual property rights refer to:

CreativeCommons
Creative Commons (CC) is a non-profit organization devoted to expanding the range of creative works available for others to build upon legally and to share. These licenses restrict only certain rights (or none) of the work instead of traditional copyright, which is more restrictive.
NC SBTDC Intellectual Property Guide
This Intellectual Property Guide is intended to help small businesses and inventors in the development of their inventions and in the maintenance of their intellectual property rights.