Protecting your product What is Intellectual Property (IP)? Legal rights that result from intellectual activity in the industrial, scientific, literary and artistic fields. Copyright, Trademark, Patent, Industrial design Learn more about Canadian intellectual properties law internetopic.nsf/eng/home internetopic.nsf/eng/home

Copyright Copyright: Bernard Liengme ©2012 Copyright applies to all original, dramatic, musical, artistic and literary works (including computer programs). It also applies to performances, communication signals and sound recordings. Copyright exists automatically when an original work is created; however, registration gives you a certificate that states that you are the owner, which can be used in court as evidence of ownership Limited lifetime. So some books can be downloaded from the Internet free

Trademarks A trademark is a sign used to identify a product. They help customers identify your product. Unregistered: symbol is TM. You are not required to register your trade-mark — using a mark for a certain length of time can establish your ownership under common law. Registered: symbol is ®. Registration of your trade-mark gives you the exclusive right to use the mark across Canada for 15 years; registration is renewable every 15 years after that Microsoft has registered Microsoft Excel® The first registered trademark

Patent A patent is a right, granted by government, to exclude others from making, using, or selling your invention in Canada. You can patent a process not an idea It must be new, practical, and not obvious During the lifetime of the patent, no one can copy your design, except if they purchase a licence from you.

Example of a patent cipo/cpd/eng/patent/ /summary.html cipo/cpd/eng/patent/ /summary.html Advantages vs Disadvantages What is a trade secret? To patent or not to patent, that is the question. What is reverse engineering?

Industrial Design The design must have features that appeal to the eye. To be eligible for registration, your design must be original. A well-designed chair is not just a pleasure to sit on, but also a pleasure to behold. For most manufactured products the value depends not only on what they do, but how they look. Registration can prevent your design from being copied and imitated by competitors. It pays to protect your hard work.