This lecture will focus on how you protect your idea, where your protection is and how to access it. Always consult a lawyer when necessary

Most of the information you need to know is on the Gov.Uk website, as good as it is, is full of a lot of text

What is IP

Anything original that anyone creates is their intellectual property if it is protected by the law, you could have an idea, but if you have no proof then you don’t own it. Think the movie the social network. It covers anything at all, drawing a picture, naming a product, designing a Wordpress theme, a song anything creative. And that is until you sell ownership

If you own it, you have right to use it, alter it and profit from it. You also have the right to licence your work to others. However, if you are an employee, the designs that you create as apart of your job is your employers intellectual property, this is a work for hire arrangement. This has been seen with comic book characters like Iron man who were created by designers who worked for marvel for a salary, meaning marvel owns iron man not the designer

What is the difference between ©, Patent, ™ and ®

Copyright (©)

• Protects: Original creative & literary works (songs, software, photos, books).
• How it's acquired: Automatically upon creation, fixed in a tangible form.
• Purpose: Control reproduction, distribution, adaptation of creative works.
• Duration: Life of author + 70 years (generally).

Patent

• Protects: Inventions, processes, machines, compositions of matter (new drugs, tech).
• How it's acquired: Requires application and grant by a patent office; must be new, useful, non-obvious.
• Purpose: Exclusive right to make, use, sell the invention, fostering innovation.
• Duration: ~20 years.

Trademark (™)

• Protects: Brand names, logos, slogans that identify goods/services (Nike swoosh, McDonald's arches).
• How it's acquired: Apply for registration (® symbol); ™ symbol used for unregistered marks.
• Purpose: Prevent consumer confusion about the source of goods.