Understanding Intellectual Property (IP)

[MUSIC]

Intellectual property or IP

refers to something a person has

either thought of or created.

Some examples of IP include designs,

processes, songs, logos, discoveries,

symbols, and even brand-new

varieties of plants.

IP belongs to the person who thought

it up or put the work into creating it.

They get to decide who makes it,

how and where it's used,

and who can sell and profit from it.

But how can thinkers and creators keep

their IP safe from misuse by others?

After all, in a digital world,

it's easy to copy an idea or a design.

Luckily, there are laws in place

to protect IP once a person

is ready to go public with it.

There are four major

paths to legal protection.

Applying for a patent.

Patents cover things like inventions,

new processes, new machines,

and new ways of manufacturing things.

Applying for a copyright.

Copyrights protect works like art, music,

writings, movies, and even software.

Using a trademark to cover unique branding

and identifiers, like business names,

logos, slogans, mascots, and more.

Keeping something secret.

Trade secrets make sure that things like

manufacturing processes, formulas,

and compilations of information

never make it into the wrong hands.

Getting these protections in place may

seem difficult or time-consuming at first,

but protecting yourself is well worth

the time and effort, and it's

not as hard as you may think.

This is where Technology Transfer,

or T2 comes in.

T2 helps negotiate the use, sharing,

and assigning of IP,

so that companies and individuals can use

government technology,

or a joint project between the government

and private sector can take place.

T2 can make it easy to license a patent or

share confidential information so both

parties can help each other solve

problems or create new products. [MUSIC]