A firm’s intellectual property (IP) – its trademarks, branding, designs etc – are vital to its success and must be registered as part of any business plan, Swindon companies will be told.
At a free breakfast presentation on March 2, hosted at chartered accountants Banks BHG, the Intellectual Property Office’s Dave Hopkins, pictured, will explain the benefits of registering IP. 
He will say that IP is at the heart of a business’s DNA and protecting it not only prevents copycats but can also be used as a potential income stream.
“Every business will own intellectual property – the name it trades under, the look or the function of products made or used, even the brochures created to promote it.
“All these elements can be protected if they are important to the business and if, managed correctly, can provide a competitive advantage,” said Mr Hopkins.
His talk will focus on four main elements of IP – trade marks, patents, designs and copyright – and how to protect these valuable IP rights. He will also explain how registering IP can be a potential income stream, as the IP could be marketed to others.
He added: “In a recent survey 74% of businesses were unsure who owned the IP right to their website, logo, artwork and photos. I recently spoke to a business about the IP elements of an app they had developed. They identified and understood about the copyright in the product but missed on searching on the brand name they had chosen.
“I suggested they did their own free trademark search and they discovered the name they had chosen was owned by someone else with a registered trademark. The consequence of this was they sought professional IP advice and they have rebranded the product, which was costly.”
The event at Banks BHG’s Stratton office, runs from 7.30am-9am and includes refreshments and bacon rolls and an opportunity for networking. It is free, but registration is required via www.banksbhg.com or by emailing events@banksbhg.com
