© Copyright Acquisition International 2025 - All Rights Reserved.

Article Image - Intellectual Property Rights – Four Top Tips
Posted 5th December 2022

Intellectual Property Rights – Four Top Tips

The protection and maintenance of a business' intellectual property (IP) is often overlooked and misunderstood by business owners. The IP of a business is a valuable asset, and in the correct circumstances can be utilised to help generate additional income with relatively minimal effort through licensing.

Mouse Scroll AnimationScroll to keep reading

Let us help promote your business to a wider following.

Intellectual Property Rights – Four Top Tips
Intellectual Property

The protection and maintenance of a business’ intellectual property (IP) is often overlooked and misunderstood by business owners. The IP of a business is a valuable asset, and in the correct circumstances can be utilised to help generate additional income with relatively minimal effort through licensing. 

Pete Konieczko-Hansom, Head of Intellectual Property at Blacks Solicitors, shares an overview of matters that business owners should consider when it comes to protecting their IP.

 

What are intellectual property rights

Intellectual property is something that is created using the mind – for example, a story, an invention, an artistic work or a symbol. This typically gives the creator exclusive rights over the use of the creation for a certain period of time. Copyrights, patents, designs and trademarks are all types of IP protection and these can be used to protect the unique creation of names of products and brands, inventions, the design or appearance of a product and things written or produced.

 

Protecting a brand name

It’s important for a brand name or logo  to be protected by seeking to register it as a trademark. A trademark is a sign, design, logo or expression that is capable of identifying a product or service from a particular enterprise2. 

Once a brand name is trademarked it will be easier for businesses or individuals to stop others from copying their brand. This can be seen with licensed sporting goods, for example, if a product bears a football team’s logo the customer will know that they  are purchasing the official merchandise of the team. 

 

Protecting unique inventions

If a business or individual creates unique or innovative processes or ways of operating, it may be worth protecting  this process with a patent. There are very strict rules and regulations in place to obtain a patent, and so businesses should seek advice from a professional sooner rather than later. Obtaining a patent presents many benefits, whether this is through passive income through licensing out the invention or restricting your competitors by forcing them to use inferior materials or products. 

A patent is a type of IP  that gives the owner the legal right to stop others, for a limited period, from making, using or selling the invention without their permission.

 

Protecting confidential information

If a business’ process or procedure isn’t capable of being patented, this can still be protected  by restricting access to essential and confidential information. There may be several reasons why a business chooses not to patent its product, particularly  as a patent only protects an invention for a limited time, after which anyone else may use, sell or create the patent. 

The protection of information can be secured in a variety of ways, from confidentiality agreements to physically limiting the number of individuals who have access to the relevant information. An example of this is the closely guarded secret regarding the Coca-Cola recipe. Whilst it is potentially capable of being patented for a limited time, the company chose against divulging the recipe to the public and instead chose to rely on contract law. This has therefore allowed the Coca-Cola recipe to remain a secret since its invention in 1886 by simply restricting the number of individuals who have knowledge of the key ingredients. 

 

Obtaining licensing

For anyone with a well established brand name, there is always the option of expanding into new areas that they do not already operate in via licensing. This can be related to different geographic areas, or to different areas in terms of products, services and sectors. An example of this is Games Workshop which  has a variety of licensed products from candles, to clothing, to an escape room. 

Categories: Innovation, News


You Might Also Like
Read Full PostRead - Eye Icon
Premium Trading Software Solutions For You
Innovation
22/07/2022Premium Trading Software Solutions For You

To adapt and thrive to ever-changing market conditions, organisations need modern software solutions and data architectures.

Read Full PostRead - Eye Icon
The Complete List of ERP Modules and How They Help Businesses
Innovation
12/10/2022The Complete List of ERP Modules and How They Help Businesses

When you run a small or enterprise-level business, you face many daily challenges to ensure that it operates smoothly and efficiently. With larger organisations, you can delegate some of your responsibilities. However, the buck will often stop with you, so you

Read Full PostRead - Eye Icon
The Secret to Success? Find a Trusted Business Advisor
News
08/09/2023The Secret to Success? Find a Trusted Business Advisor

Starting a business is a bit like hiking up a mountain blindfolded – it’s difficult, disorienting, and you never know what unexpected cliffs or pitfalls await around the next bend. The stakes feel high, and one wrong step can send you tumbling. But

Read Full PostRead - Eye Icon
Understanding the Benefits and Importance of Installment Loans
Finance
11/01/2022Understanding the Benefits and Importance of Installment Loans

Installment loans could be a real game-changer, especially if you need flexible repayments. In these difficult economic moments, you find that you will need some cash at some point. And that's why you need to know about installment loans.

Read Full PostRead - Eye Icon
Carey Watermark Investors Acquires The Equinox
M&A
18/02/2016Carey Watermark Investors Acquires The Equinox

Carey Watermark Investors Incorporated (CWI 1) announced that it has acquired The Equinox Golf Resort & Spa, part of Starwood's The Luxury Collection brand.

Read Full PostRead - Eye Icon
Morgan Tucker Acquisition of BES Consulting Engineers
Finance
27/05/2015Morgan Tucker Acquisition of BES Consulting Engineers

Morgan Tucker Acquisition of BES Consulting Engineers

Read Full PostRead - Eye Icon
Best Workplace Training Provider 2021 – UK
Leadership
24/12/2021Best Workplace Training Provider 2021 – UK

Located in Hull, Portull Training Services Ltd. was founded in January 2007 to meet the demanding needs of the ports industry with regards to plant and machinery training.

Read Full PostRead - Eye Icon
Avoid Making These Common Small Business Mistakes
Corporate Social Responsibility
17/05/2023Avoid Making These Common Small Business Mistakes

All business owners make mistakes, whether they’re new business owners or seasoned professionals in charge of multi-million-dollar corporations. While everyone is capable of making mistakes, that doesn’t mean you can’t avoid certain ones by being well-in

Read Full PostRead - Eye Icon
Reset.LDN announces collaboration with WeWork in the capital
Leadership
25/11/2019Reset.LDN announces collaboration with WeWork in the capital

Corporate and lifestyle wellness organisation Reset LDN has announced a new collaboration with workspace provider WeWork. The team at Reset LDN will bring a full service, on-site wellness programme to the world’s largest WeWork at 10 York Road in London, whi



Our Trusted Brands

Acquisition International is a flagship brand of AI Global Media. AI Global Media is a B2B enterprise and are committed to creating engaging content allowing businesses to market their services to a larger global audience. We have 14 unique brands, each of which serves a specific industry or region. Each brand covers the latest news in its sector and publishes a digital magazine and newsletter which is read by a global audience.

Arrow