Intellectual property
Valuable assets include much more than just the inventory on the shelves or traditional assets like machinery and real estate. One of the most important and valuable things you can possess is intellectual property. From the good will of a business, to the uniqueness of artistic design, to new inventions, to confidential recipes and methods of business – a complete understanding of growing and protecting your business must encompass considering all aspects of your intellectual property.
Copyright
Copyright law is the intellectual property protection given to those who create artistic works. It is a reward of exclusive control of the use of a person’s original works. The United States Copyright laws offer protection for original works of authorship spanning many creative endeavors. Art, music, architecture, sculptures, writings, photographs, and even software fall under the protection of copyright.
Trademark
Trademarks serve the important purpose of identifying the origin of goods and services. Simply put, trademarks let your customers easily and reliably identify you. The good will and reputation you painstakingly build up under your business’ identity is a valuable asset. It is arguably your most valuable asset.
Trade secret
A trade secret is any piece of business information with economic value that has been kept confidential. Trade secrets can include information, formulas, codes, methods, practices, and many other aspects of your business. This information is valuable and often essential to your competitive ability. It is essential that you actively protect the non-public secrets, business methods, and practices on which you rely.
Plant and seed protection
You spend significant amounts of time, resources, and expertise to develop new plant varieties. Your successes are protectable intellectual property. This protection is available to all plant breeders, including universities. Protect your future royalties on grains, wheat, grasses, peas, and much more.