Intellectual Property Rights Management refers to the management and protection of Intellectual Property(IP). Intellectual Property is the general term for intangible property rights which are a result of intellectual effort, such as Patents, Trade Marks, Designs and Copyright.
The use of intellectual property rights in the global marketplace is a major facet of business today.
Intellectual property’s most common forms are protected by:
- patents on inventions;
- trade marks;
- copyright on music, videos, patterns and other forms of expression;
- trade secrets for methods or formulas having economic value and used commercially.
What is a Trade Mark?
A Trade Mark protects amongst others words, names, symbols, sounds, or colors that distinguish goods and services from those manufactured or sold by others and indicate the source of the goods. Trade Marks, unlike Patents can last forever, as long as they are renewed every 10 years.
What is a Copyright?
A Copyright is a form of protection provided to the authors of "original works of authorship" including literary, dramatic, musical, artistic, and certain other intellectual works, both published and unpublished.
What is a Patent?
A Patent for an invention is the grant of a property right to the inventor, issued by CIPC.
What is a Design?
A Design refers to the features of shape, configuration, pattern or ornamentation which gives a product a unique appearance, and must be new and distinctive. Design registration is intended to protect designs which have an industrial or commercial use.