How to Legally Protect Your Intellectual Property

Intellectual property is the material expression of intellect that has value in the general marketplace. Your intellectual property can include copyrighted property such as books or music, as well as business processes vital to the creation of these properties. It is important to legally protect your intellectual property so you can recover damages in the case of any infringement or plagiarism.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

1. Consult the Intellectual Property Owners Association to understand the importance of protecting your projects (see Resources below). This organization lobbies in Washington, D.C., and across the United States for intellectual-property rights. The IPOA also provides resources for new inventors, writers and artists looking for information on protecting their projects.
2. Seek advice from an intellectual-property lawyer before putting your material expression out for public consumption. These experts can advice you on the best approach to protecting your projects while maintaining your distribution and sales rights. You can find an experienced lawyer through the American Intellectual Property Law Association Web site (see Resources below).
3. Utilize the copyright process for artistic or literary endeavors. Copyright laws protect published and unpublished books, music and software from use by others without the creator's consent. These laws also provide the ability of copyright holders to distribute, display and utilize their work as they wish. Read more about your rights at the U.S. Copyright Office Web site (see Resources below).
4. Apply for a patent if your intellectual property is a mechanical or electronic invention. Patent applications require specifications, samples and diagrams to demonstrate that your project is distinct from others protected by the law. You can apply online through the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (see Resources below).
5. Reserve your legal rights to an image, slogan or phrase by applying for a trademark. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has an interactive database to help inventors and artists determine if their project is distinct enough for legal protection (see Resources below). You can also apply for a trademark online.
6. Ensure that your intellectual property is protected legally through renewal forms and amendments. Copyrights, trademarks and patents last for decades, but they do eventually expire and require renewal to maintain your legal rights. If you're an inventor, you should apply for patents to improve upon past inventions to consolidate your hold on your material expression.

Tips & Warnings

• Create a regular routine to search out infringement of your intellectual property. You should regularly check search engines, creative forums and other Web sites to ensure that your intellectual property is safe. Utilize specific quotes, file names or obvious words describing your material expression in your search.
• Books, movies and other projects are protected in theory from the moment of their creation. Plagiarized material and infringement is difficult to demonstrate, however, without the guarantees provided by registering your product.