You have the product, the business name, and all the paperwork filed. Congratulations, you’re officially a business owner. While you can begin doing business, you may want to research how you can protect your company from frauds. Some may want to open lookalike businesses or sell similar products. So, it’s important to know your rights surrounding the intellectual property of your business.
Patents
Patents are a type of intellectual property that protects inventions, designs, or other unique products. If your business is the first to sell a specific product, this intellectual property type could prevent others from claiming you copied them and protect your rights if another company tries to sell the same product. Unfortunately, applying for a patent is a long and expensive process, so it may not always be practical for small businesses. Luckily, there are other, less expensive ways to protect your business intellectual property. If you are hoping to obtain a patent, however, apply for one with the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
Copyright
Copyright is the form of intellectual property most people are familiar with – business owner or not. It protects a particular use or expression of a non-fact-based concept. It must be an original work. For example, a musician can copyright a song, but the notes used in the song are still fair game for other musicians to use. The copyright only protects the order of those notes, not the notes themselves. The same applies to visual media. Copyright can protect a painting of a river, but other artists may still paint the same river as long as it is not a direct copy of the copyrighted work.
Business owners may find this form of intellectual property particularly useful if they worry others may try to reproduce their original work. Copyright registration is more affordable and quicker than securing a patent, and copyright requirements aren’t quite so strict. Business owners don’t have to copyright their products or artwork; the government assumes the work is copyrighted upon creation. However, registering a copyright can provide legal protection should you wish to file a lawsuit for copyright infringement or stop fraudulent copycat products from entering the country.
Trademarks
Trademarks protect business branding like logos, slogans, packaging, or other information that specifically identify your business. Like copyrights, trademarks are assumed to exist as soon as a business publicly uses them but registering a trademark can provide extra protection. Unregistered trademarks protect branding regionally. Meanwhile, registered trademarks are protected all over the country. If you intend to expand your business, a registered trademark may be the most effective way to claim intellectual property to protect your brand.
Business Startup Assistance in the Inland Empire
As a business owner, you have plenty of paperwork to file. Ensuring you protect your company’s intellectual property is an important step toward building the longevity of your business. When business startup paperwork gets confusing and frustrating, the legal document assistants at ProSe Legal can help. Our team of experienced LDAs can assist you in organizing, completing, and filing all your business documents correctly the first time.
If you are ready to start your business and need help, today or call (909) 224-4361 to schedule your appointment.
