What is intellectual property?
What does the term intellectual property (IP) mean?
Put simply, it is a collective term for patents, trademarks, copyrights, design rights, trade secrets and other similar rights. IP law covers a set of rights in works, inventions, ideas and information and how they are expressed or used, and the ways in which the products of companies are recognised by consumers and in the marketplace. As a general rule, intellectual property laws prevent or set limits on copying or use of these types of rights. Furthermore, the rights of an owner of intellectual property to prevent such copying or use vary by geography and time depending on the rights obtained in a particular country and whether those rights are in force or have expired or have been lost.
Applying for an IP right to protect your idea can be critical if you want to build a business and establish your presence in a market. Briefly, these key forms of intellectual property are as follows;
- Patents
- Copyrights
- Design rights
- Trade secrets
- Plant Breeders’ rights
To learn more about these forms of protection click here
Are you looking to understand more about forms of intellectual property protection for your business?
Our Hooks IP education program teaches you all the basics you need to know about intellectual property and its main branches. It will also help you understand how various types of IP are protected.
From start to finish, the program’s bite-sized modules help you to grasp IP concepts easily and at your own pace. You can pause and jump back in at any point using the link below.
With Hooks, all staff members can learn and engage from wherever they are and their learning/training progress is available to their supervisors in real-time! See more details on Hooks here.
