Intellectual Property
Intellectual property is a key consideration in day-to-day business
decisions. However, many entrepreneurs are not aware of the
intellectual property system or the protection it can provide for their
inventions, brands, and designs. If left unprotected, a good invention
or creation may be lost to larger competitors that are in a better
position to commercialize the product or service at a more affordable
price, leaving the original inventor without any financial benefit. Some of the different types of intellectual property include: Patents, Trade-marks, Copyrights, and Industrial Designs. Adequate protection of a company's intellectual property is a crucial step in deterring potential infringement and in turning ideas into business assets with a real market value.
The following web sites contain information to help you learn what you need to know about Intellectual Property:
The Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO) is responsible for most types of Intellectual Property, and has a considerable amount of information available on their web site:
www.strategis.ic.gc.ca/sc_mrksv/cipo/welcome/welcom-e.html
From the CIPO site, it is also possible to download 'ÂœA Guide to Trade-Marks: The Basics'Â in either html or PDF:
www.strategis.ic.gc.ca/sc_mrksv/cipo/tm/tm_gd_main-e.html
www.strategis.ic.gc.ca/sc_mrksv/cipo/tm/tmguide-e.pdf
The World Intellectual Property Office (WIPO) is an excellent source of information on Intellectual Property:
www.wipo.int
From the WIPO site, two documents are available. A broad introduction to intellectual property is available in WIPO Intellectual Property Handbook: Policy, Law and Use. A summary of intellectual property legislation in member States, as well as contact information, etc., is available in the WIPO Guide to Intellectual Property Worldwide. Both documents are available at:
www.wipo.int/about-ip/en
The Catalyst Law Corporation is a law firm located in Vancouver, BC, focussed on building and financing young technology companies. Available on their web site is a downloadable document entitled Intellectual Property containing information about the different types of IP:
www.catalyst-law.com/document/publications
The Intellectual Property Institute of Canada (IPIC) is Canada's pre-eminent association of professionals who specialize in intellectual property: patents for inventions, trade-marks, copyright, and industrial designs. IPIC's web site is a good source of information on various types of Intellectual Property:
www.ipic.ca/english/general/what.cfm