4 Ways to Protect Your Brand From Intellectual Property Theft

Theft is a major concern for every business, as losing property almost always results in a loss of profit. For online businesses, however, the greatest concern is not the theft of physical goods, but that of intellectual property (IP). This is particularly true for small- and medium-sized business owners, who depend on their logos, trademarks, designs, and other property of the intellect to make a living. An online business's competitive advantage comes from and is built around its ideas, and if these ideas are not properly protected, they can be stolen—resulting in huge financial losses for the business. Incredibly, it is estimated that the cost of intellectual property theft to the US economy could be as high as $600 billion annually. According to some, small businesses are now being targeted for IP theft more frequently than large companies due to the potential for high return with fairly little effort. With small businesses, the potential for significant financial loss is a very real possibility. It has never been more vital to safeguard your business and your brand. Related: 9 red flags when working with a small business marketing agency It's important to take preventative measures to ensure that your online business does not fall victim to theft of any kind. So what can you do to safeguard your brand? Below, we've compiled four ways you can protect your brand from the looming threat of intellectual property theft. 1. Trademark your brand Intellectual property includes artistic and musical works, designs, images, literature and software—all of which help to develop your reputation in a given industry and build customer trust in your brand. Copyright law covers a lot of the written material that can be found on your website or mobile app, but the components that make up your brand will not be protected through copyright protections alone. Proprietary rights and trademark protections are sometimes established through consistent use in a given marketplace, but the internet is the wild west, and this kind of recognition in such an open and undefined marketplace is unlikely. One of the best ways to protect your intellectual property is to register a trademark for your brand name, logo, designs, slogans, and any words associated with your brand. Obtaining a registered trademark for your brand's IP will allow you to use the registered trademark symbol "Â ®" in conjunction with these assets. Not only will this deter would-be thieves from stealing your stuff, but it will also give you verifiable proof that you are the original owner of the trademarked material. You will have ground to stand on in the event that the issue is brought to court. In order to register your brand materials, you must first submit an application with the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Registration is not automatic, nor is it guaranteed. Three months after you initially file your application, it will be reviewed by an examining attorney, who will check that your intellectual property is in compliance with USPTO rules and regulations. Compliance is fairly straightforward, but your chance of success will most likely come down to whether you do two things: Avoid likelihood of confusion According to the USPTO, "likelihood of confusion" exists if they determine that the applicant's marks are similar in appearance, sound, meaning or pronunciation to another and the goods or services provided by the two companies are similar enough for consumers to mistakenly believe they're from the same company. In order to avoid likelihood of confusion and get your IP certified, you must ensure that the IP of others in your industry is not similar to yours. You can do this by performing a trademark search in the USPTO trademark database. Reduce similarity with established entity Trademark registration applications are often declined based on their similarities with already established entities—both public and private. Your application may be refused on these grounds whether the established entity has a trademark of its own or not. Established entities can include surnames, geographic locations, an individual's name or likeness, and the names of books and/or movies. As long as you avoid similarities with these types of entities, you will surely see your trademark application get accepted, and you can continue protecting your brand from IP theft. 2. Link your brand to a source Generic intellectual property is much more easily replicated, copied and stolen—and thus more likely to be targeted for theft. This is illustrated by the fact that the most counterfeited brands in the world are Nike, Apple and Rolex, which all have relatively simple branding designs and logos. You can make your brand stand out and decrease the chance of falling victim to intellectual property theft by creating branding material that has greater complexity. One way to achieve this is by linking it to a source. Your brand can be linked to any kind of attributional source—from names and dates to locations and styles. For example, if your company were one that (God forbid) sold fidget spinners, you may have adopted a name like "Super Spinners." Unfortunately, while your company may in fact be super, it also has generic and easily replicated branding. Adding a source to the brand will change that completely. Something like "Silly Steve's Super Spinners" not only makes it less generic and thus, more appealing, but also more difficult to copy. This concept applies not only to naming schemes, but also to your logos, slogans, and other words associated with your company. Attributing a source to your brand will make it a lot more unique—and a lot less likely to become the victim of IP theft. 3. Include an intellectual property clause in your terms & conditions From a legal standpoint, it's important to protect yourself and your intellectual property in writing. The best way to achieve this is with a comprehensive terms and conditions (T&C) agreement posted in a conspicuous location on your website or mobile app. A terms and conditions agreement is a legal statement where you outline the rules and guidelines that users must agree with and adhere to in order to do business with you. It is a fundamental policy for your business and one that will give you the legal backing to deal with abuses and unruly users. It is within your T&C agreement that you should include an intellectual property clause. This is where you state that all intellectual property—including but not limited to copyrighted material and trademarks—is owned by you and/or the company, and that you have proprietary rights to that material. Not only will this disclosure give you legal grounds to fight intellectual property theft and copyright infringement, but it might also deter potential thieves from going through with it. They'll see that you've taken precautionary steps to protect your brand, and that you will be vigilant in safeguarding your investment. It's important not to limit your IP rights. The wording is crucial and will determine whether your property is properly protected. Consult with a lawyer when drafting this section of the policy to ensure you have full and complete coverage, or use a terms and conditions generator online. 4. Stay vigilant Legal implications aside, the theft of your intellectual property can have hugely negative effects on your brand—and particularly your market share. If gone unnoticed and unchecked, your stolen IP and branding could carve into your customer base and revenue. It could take years to recover completely from those losses, if ever. It is extremely important to stay vigilant and monitor your competitors for potential thievery. However, constant monitoring of other sites and businesses is an arduous and time-consuming task. Luckily, there is software out there that can aid in the battle against IP theft. This software scours the internet for potential matches with your brand and reports back with any infringements. It frees you up to focus on other business matters. There are also intellectual property agents you can hire to help with the process. They are often licensed attorneys who are trained in intellectual property law. While these agents will be more expensive than computer software (or doing it yourself), the services they offer may end up being invaluable to your brand and the longevity of your business. Your brand and the intellectual property associated with it are extremely valuable and worth protecting. Litigation and legal proceedings are last resorts, and they shouldn't be relied on to keep your brand safe. While it's impossible to completely eradicate theft online, these are fundamental steps you can take to safeguard your investment and give you peace of mind. Enjoy this post? Subscribe to the Lucidpress blog to get our best delivered to your inbox every week.

How to Protect Your Items During a Divorce - 550 Words

How to Protect Your Items During a Divorce (Article Sample) Content: Name of article: how your protect your assets in a divorceName of author Samson deepayMarriage is an important occasion which brings joy and happiness to families, friends and relatives. In the long run periods, some marriage fail to work and either of the previously newlyweds calls for a divorce.in such troublesome scenarios, one should be able to safeguard his/ her property to avoid getting bankrupt. When one is undergoing through a divorce, its usually pays to get a bit realistic and leave emotions at the same time act appropriately to the matter in hand .Realistically, it would even more worse to end up without a spouse and at the same time without your assets which will help you in the nearby future. The previously mentioned statement shows that the article can be of great help and importance .Take an example a Miami locksmith personnel invested 2000$in his/her Miami locksmith operation and if a divorce can occurs he risks losing more than half the amount if he d oesnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬t protect his investment.While you wait for the court verdict, it will be a matter of great importance to take some steps and ensure your properties are well protected. The waiting period for most divorce cases varies. A divorce casein locality like America specific place Miami and specific person being the Miami locksmiths will take a maximum of 60 days to be heard while in most sub-Saharan countries the divorce cases usually takes more than one year or they are done away with .According to the divorce laws in takes any commodity given to you either through marriage either before or after is rightfully yours.It is a trend in which most people when relocating from one place to another usually starts by packing the commodities which they believe ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬s rightfully theirs. Therefore during divorces cases of both spouses claiming that a single commodity is rightfully theirs can be minimized by first taking photo of the items in the house which should cover the who le items. The items should then be moved to places where their spouses cannot get access to .Perfect places to move the items will be stores which should be secluded.One can also get a proof that will show that the items were inherited by him alone and there and no one has the right to claim ownership of the commodities. There are lots of ways to ensure the previously mentioned facts happen .Whether legal or illegal one has a ...