Why intellectual property should be protected

Your name and logo, designs, inventions, works of creative or intellectual effort or trade marks that distinguish your business can all be types of IP.

Explore the different types of IP in detail in our guides:. Some IP rights are automatically safeguarded by IP law, but there are also other types of legal protection you can apply for. To exploit your IP fully, it makes strong business sense to do all you can to secure it. You can then:. Access the IP for business tools. My New Business Northern Ireland business support finder Sample templates, forms, letters, policies and checklists Licence finder Find a case study Do it online.

Particularly, IPR creates and supports high-paying jobs, drives economic growth and competitiveness, protect consumers and families, helps generate breakthrough solutions to global challenges, encourage innovation and reward entrepreneurs. For these reasons, IP rights are worth protecting, both domestically and internationally.

The customs authorities at the EU borders are aware that IP infringement can cause some unwelcome consequences.

At Law , we are always on hand to discuss IP with our clients and how they can take full advantage of it. Obtaining IP rights can be fundamental to securing the commercial success of a business seeking to stay ahead of their field. The name of your company, the logo and your products or services are part of the branding that sets your business apart from its competitors. It is therefore in the best interest of a company to ensure that it makes use of its intangible assets by protecting them and using them.

Different types of creations can be protected in different ways, and our Commercial Team at Law are always on hand to advise our clients on how to effectively protect their IP. We aim to help our clients at every stage of their development to help them grow and continue to innovate in the tech industry. If you would like to find out more about how to protect your IP, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us. The Intellectual Property Office website also has a huge amount information that you may find useful.

Are legal worries getting you down? On April 26 every year we celebrate World Intellectual Property Day to promote discussion of the role of IP in encouraging innovation and creativity. Find out how you can take part. Subscribe for free to read stories, articles and interviews showing IP, innovation and creativity at work across the world. Available in English, French and Spanish. Our outreach tools are free resources to assist IP offices and organizations in planning and implementing public campaigns to build better understanding and use of IP.

The awards program helps our member states foster a culture in which innovation and creativity are celebrated. All nominations are submitted through national IP offices. Find out how frontier technologies, including AI, are changing how we do business, how we innovate and create. Men and women are equally as creative and innovative. Yet, women remain under-represented in many areas.

Find out how WIPO works to tackle this issue.