A practical guide to your Intellectual Property with BIPC Sussex

At the Business & IP Centre (BIPC) Sussex, and across the BIPC National Network, there is a particular focus on Intellectual Property (IP). So why is IP so important that it takes up half of our name? The team explains in this feature.

In the UK, increasingly more and more business’s assets are intangible – brand, designs, trade secrets – rather than tangible – property or machinery. Because of this, having a practical understanding of the basics of IP is vital to protecting what makes your business great.  

At BIPC Sussex, we will help you understand the different ways that IP can be involved in your business. Whether you chose to apply for protections of your assets such as registering a trademark, or you’re just looking for as much information as you can get on IP, we can help. 

Here are our five steps to making the most of your IP, and how BIPC Sussex can support you at every step. 

Identify

A great first step is to book an Intellectual Property one-to-one clinic with a member of our team – bookable through our Eventbrite page or by emailing us. 

This can be in person at Jubilee Library, Brighton, or online, and our team member can sign a non-disclosure agreement to ensure that your IP stays protected. We will talk specifically about your business, and together we will identify what IP is involved and will be most important for you – whether that’s your content, branding, designs or inventions (which may be protected by copyright, trademarks, registered designs or patents, respectively.) 

Protect

We will explain the process of applying for IP protections and help guide you along the way. This might take the form of:

• Searching online databases for existing IP – to make sure that your trademark hasn’t already been registered by someone else, for example

• Showing you how to format your designs for a UK registered design application

• Discussing how to protect your copyright if you hire a freelancer

• Helping you to choose the correct class in which to register your trademark

If you have a question on the more complicated side of things, or need specific advice from a qualified IP attorney, we will refer you to one of our Expert Partners for Intellectual Property, either a registered Trademark Attorney or Patent Attorney, who can provide you with half an hour of specialist advice for free when you access them through our service.

Exploit

One key way to exploit – that is, to make money from – your IP is through licensing and franchising agreements. Even if you’re at an early stage of your business, it’s great to know what opportunities licensing and franchising may present in the future. One of our Expert partners, Pam Gordon QFP, runs webinars and in-person workshops focusing on licensing and franchising, and offers one-to-one appointments. 

Review

We always recommend to new businesses to start strong by knowing and understanding your IP, but it’s equally important to continue to review any new IP that may arise as you continue your business journey. Once you understand the basics of IP, you can stay alert to any new IP you might want to protect, as well as being aware of other people’s IP that you need to make sure not to infringe upon. We will always welcome you back for new queries. 

Likewise, we encourage more established businesses who haven’t looked at their IP in a while to book a one-to-one with us, or book one of our Introduction to IP webinars to get a quick refresher. We also run a series of short, lunchtime webinars focusing on individual Intellectual Property Rights in more detail, such as Introduction to Copyright or Introduction to Patents. 

Defend

If you’re in a position where you need to defend your IP, we can help by talking through your problem, and referring you to our Expert Partners for Intellectual Property, or signposting to the UK Intellectual Property Office (IPO)’s services and support, such as their mediation service. 

But by identifying, protecting, and reviewing your IP as early as possible, you put yourself in a far stronger position if you later find that your IP rights are being infringed upon.

Take the first steps

We know that when you’re starting or running a business your time is extremely valuable, but by taking an hour or so out of your busy schedule to access our free services and learn about your IP, you are making an invaluable investment in the future of your business. 

Drop by BIPC Sussex at Jubilee Library, Brighton, 10am-5pm Monday to Friday, email us at bipc@brighton-hove.gov.uk, or book an IP one-to-one, webinar or workshop through our Eventbrite (BIPC Sussex Eventbrite).

Visit www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/bipc or email
bipc@brighton-hove.gov.uk