Intellectual Property (IP) refers to something that has been created that the law can protect as intangible assets: inventions, designs, confidential business information and brand identifiers, for example. Securing IP gives the owner exclusive legal rights to how these assets are used, preventing others from copying or exploiting them without permission.

The Intellectual Property Office (IPO) gives a broad overview about intelllectual property, covering:

• Patents – protects new inventions; how they work, what they do, how they do it, what they are made of and how they are made.
• Designs – protects the overall look of a product including the colour, shape, texture and material.
• Trade marks – protects brands, such as your business name or logo, and can consist of a word, phrase, picture or a combination of all these.
• Copyright – protects written, dramatic, musical and artistic works including photos, recordings, software and databases.

There are a number of online tools available for to help you identify and protect these rights.

IP Equip – A free, interactive online learning tool to help you identify assets which may be protected by IP rights. Made up of four modules on the main IP rights, it takes around an hour to complete and is also CPD accredited.

IP Health Check – A free online assessment of your business to help you identify and add value to your IP assets. Based on your answers to a series of simple questions, it provides a confidential report with advice on how to protect your IP.