Do You Know Your Intellectual Property Rights? Patents, Trademarks and Copyright.

http://www.smallbusinessbc.ca Filing your patent applications and trademark registrations early can help you protect your business property.

Get connected with intellectual property lawyers and find out more about the Intellectual Property educational seminar series at http://www.smallbusinessbc.ca/seminars

Learn from Jennifer Marles, presenter of the Intellectual Property seminar series, about what rights you have with these registrations and how doing your research at the Canadian Intellectual Property Office ( http://www.cipo.gc.ca) is your first step to learning more about the relevant applications and processes.

Jennifer explains how timeliness, research, registration, contracts and finding the right advice will benefit your business in the long run.

1) Timeliness

In Canada, and the majority of countries, it is required that you have file for a patent before you make public and disclose any part of your idea. If you do not do this you are endanger of loosing the right to patent protection.

It is important to get help at an early stage of your business to find out what deadlines you need to meet and the steps you need to do to meet them.

2) Search existing trademarks

By completing your due diligence research to ensure another business has not registered a trademark or a similar trademark ahead of time will save you from complications in the future.

3) Register your trademark

In Canada, registering a Trademark gives you nationwide rights. By registering your trademark you register your mark in a database which other people can search to ensure they do not use the same trademark.

4) Use clear contracts

Be careful to define your relationships with other people and businesses to ensure that all parties are aware of their obligations and expectations before they begin.

5) Professional Advice

Be sure to get advice in the early stages of your business for how to protect your idea. Many people look to register one type of patent, trademark or copyright but there may be multiple ways in which you can protect your business. By getting advice at an early stage will provide you option of how to protect your idea.

About Jennifer
http://www.smallbusinessbc.ca/seminars/bios/jennifer-a-marles

Jennifer Marles is an associate lawyer at Oyen Wiggs Green & Mutala LLP, where she assists clients with identifying and protecting their intellectual property rights.

Jennifer is a registered patent and trademark agent in Canada, and was called to the Bar of British Columbia in 2008. Jennifer is an adjunct professor of law at the University of British Columbia, where she lectures on copyright law.

At Small Business BC, Jennifer presents the Intellectual Property seminars in the Education Centre, helping small businesses understand their intellectual property rights. Through defining what copyright, trademarks and patents are, the consequences of trademark infringement and copyright violation, she will guide you through all things related to Canadian intellectual property.

Testimonials:

• "Jennifer Marles is bright and engaging. A highly satisfying part of the day." (Start Smart - Protecting Yourself and Your Business)

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[GBConkin]

Jennifer, there are some that say copyright is dead in this age of the Internet, downloads and free content. Chris Anderson, author of The Long Tail, for one. Is there any value in trying to protect your "content" online? Interested in other people's take on this.