So what is Intellectual Property (IP)?

Put simply IP is your intangible assets, like names, inventions, designs and things you write, make or produce.

These fall under four simple categories:

• Patents – Protection for new inventions, how they work and how they are made
• Trade marks – Protection for brands, business names, products or a service
• Design – Visual appearance of a product
• Copyright – Covers books, art, music, websites, photographs and much more

That’s the easy bit. It is the detail that can be overwhelming when looking at this subject. But help has never been easier to get than as it is now.

The government and IP

The government website (gov.uk) has an excellent, easy to understand guide to IP. This will answer many basic questions you may have about how it works and what is covered.

If like many you prefer visuals to the written word then a comprehensive series of videos has been created to assist you. Plus the full series of videos even has its own YouTube channel.

Here there is a mass of self-help available, and again, many questions you may have will be answered here.

Free online IP health check

But the resources available go one step further. There is a free online IP health check service available from the Intellectual Property Office which will guide you through nine modules of support. Not all will be applicable to you, but you can save progress and come back to complete it at a later date, if required. Once completed you will receive:

• A personalised list of actions to take
• An explanation of why recommendations have been made
• Guidance on how to put each course of action in place
• Links to useful information, websites and other resources

The Patent Library

Then you can apply for IP protection by yourself with guidance from the Patent Library, or to maximise your time and optimise your success rate you can opt to hire an IP specialist to assist you.

If you are looking to do this yourself, the Patent Library is a must to consult. This will supply information and guidance and allow you to search for protection that already exists on someone else’s product or service. This will help you ensure you do not infringe existing IP protection.

Search the member directory for local support

If you are looking for an expert then keep it local and consult the IP Specialists, law firms and solicitors who specialise in this area. Search the Buckinghamshire Business First member directory for a local expert.

If you are an IP expert but not coming up on the search function of the member directory, check that you have published your details and have included the key words people would use to search for you on your company profile.

As always if you have any questions or require assistance, please contact me: [email protected] / 01494 568941.