How can intellectual property be protected?
Individuals protect their possessions every day. When we leave our homes, we make sure to lock all the doors. When we get out of our cars, we lock our doors as well. It is important to keep our possessions safe since we have spent our hard-earned money on purchasing them. However, how can we protect our non-physical possessions? Intellectual property is still our property. Since it is not a physical form, it may be unclear as to whose property it really is. There are ways to claim it as your own and protect it from being abused or used by others.
Our ideas are considered our intellectual property. If these ideas are innovative or lucrative, you may wish to claim them as your invention. In order to do so, you can seek a few processes. You could decide to get your intellectual property trademarked or licensed. You also have options for copyright protection or trade secret protection. Depending on the concept, you are faced with a few alternatives to protect your ideas.
What is copyright protection?
With a copyright protection for your idea, it grants exclusive rights to the creator or the assignee of the property to publish, perform, film, print or record the registered concept. After you are granted this copyright protection, the process is not over. You have to continue to monitor so that no one is using your copyrighted concepts without your permission. An attorney can help with the monitoring process to ensure that your copyright is being upheld.
How can I acquire these as my property?
To establish these intellectual concepts as your property, you can go through a few processes. This can include mediation or arbitration. With these processes, you can then have your property protected and continue to monitor it to avoid abuse by others.
Arbitration is a binding process that is confidential to those involved. A panel of attorneys will act as arbitrators for the parties and hear both sides to make a decision on the matter. Mediation encourages both parties to sit down with a mediator to come to a conclusion on their own. They can draft this decision in an agreement then sign it for it to become legally binding. Through these two measures, individuals can avoid any court proceedings to be granted the protection they desire.
Stone Crosby, P.C. has proudly served clients in Alabama for over 100 years. Our firm has experience handling matters including divorce and family law, estate planning and administration, business law, employment law, class actions, consumer protection, business law, real estate law, among many others. If you require quality legal representation, contact our firm today to schedule a consultation.