Intellectual property rights are protected primarily through patents, trademarks and copyrights. But why should your IP be protected? Is your IP really at risk? If so, is this risk really worth the time and effort it takes to get these protections in place?
The truth is your IP is not safe and it is actually extremely important to protect your IP. If you do not protect your IP, you face the very real risk of it getting stolen and used by a competitor.
IP cases are on the rise in the U.S.
The United States Courts report that the number of IP cases filed in the U.S. over the past 20 years have skyrocketed. More specifically, filings for copyright infringement began rising dramatically in 2012 and reached a new high in 2018. Patent filings started to rise drastically in 2019 and trademark filings have remained relatively stable over the past three decades.
Common IP violations include stealing work that a creator can protect with patents, copyrights, and trademarks
A few common examples of violations include:
- Patent violation: When another business or inventor uses a product, good or service and attempts to sell it and pass it off as their own.
- Trade secrets: Stealing secrets from a business and selling it to another business or entity, also known as corporate espionage.
- Copyright: Re-using musical or other digital recordings and distributing for profit.
In most cases of IP violations, the original creator can only fight back if they have already292021 taken steps to protect their creation. This includes getting a patent, copyright or registering a trademark. Figuring out the right type of protection for a specific piece of IP will depend on a number of factors. The attorneys at The Wang IP Law Group can review your creation and discuss your options, helping to better ensure your IP is protected from competitors.