Leeds Digital Festival was packed full of some amazing events spanning from employment law workshops to personal branding talks to networking drinks after work, it was a great two weeks. But one of the events that stood out to us was a talk that focused on intellectual property and the importance of ensuring that businesses safeguard their assets.
Intellectual property can be a business’ most important asset, as it can protect your innovations which will set your business apart from competitors. Throughout the discussion, the main focus was on trademarks and patents.
As mentioned above, it is extremely important for a business to ensure that they have brand and intellectual property protection, but to do this you will need to apply to the Intellectual Property Office which will distinguish your products and services from other businesses. This will also prevent companies or individuals from using your branding or IP once it has been registered.
For example, there are many benefits of having a registered trademark. These include increasing the value of the business, protection of your business’ reputation and against competitors. This is because having your brand name trademarked gives you the right to promote your goods under this name and it also gives you the security to bring proceedings against anyone who tries to trade under your name.
You are also able to bring legal proceedings against anyone who tries to use your trademarked product or services, which in turn will allow you to protect your business’ reputation as it will stop anyone from using your brand name to sell their products and services which may not reflect your business ethos.
It can be difficult to understand what you can trademark and what your trademark covers. For example, by trademarking your company name this does not mean that all the intellectual property created by your company will be protected. This is why it is important to liaise with a professional to ensure you are legally protected, which is where we come in.
At Rinew Legal, we provide several services to help businesses protect their intellectual property. So, if you would like to speak further on any of the issues we have covered in this blog, please get in touch by clicking here.