IPitch Articles Archive
IS INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY SOMETHING YOU CAN D.I.Y?
By Guest Author on Thursday, May 26th, 2011
This article was written by Gareth Dixon of Shelston IP. Shelston IP is IPitch’s Legal and Intellectual Property Partner.
Intellectual property - or “IP”, is the product of one’s mind for which a set of exclusive rights may be recognised. It’s a nebulous term that is often bandied about by those claiming to be “in the know”. It’s “niche”, but is it really “necessary”?
IP rights are not strictly “property” rights, per se (i.e., one doesn’t “own” IP in the same way as they, for example, own a house); IP rights are intangible. The term “property” seems to relate more to the ways in which IP may be exploited - it may be bought, sold, licensed, etc. Under the various IP laws, owners are granted certain exclusive rights to a variety of intangible assets, such as patents, trademarks, designs, copyright, plant breeders’ rights, etc. These IP rights vary greatly in the protection they provide - and also, from country-to-country. Throw in the fact that often, more than one type of IP may be necessary to fully protect your idea - and one begins to appreciate that IP may indeed be “necessary” - but is it something one can D.I.Y? Is it something that one can simply “add to the pile and do later”?
There’s a saying that doing your own IP is akin to doing your own surgery - “possible”, but not exactly “recommended”… Extending the surgery analogy, timing is often critical - the sooner the better. Start-ups are well advised to seek professional help from the outset.
On the other hand, start-ups generally have “sufficient” expenses to worry about, without having to consider spending money on “intangibles” such as IP. However, this reality actually betrays the fact that (especially during the start-up phase, when a company generally has precious few capital assets) a company’s most valuable assets will often be vested in its IP.
Why choose a serviced or virtual office?
By Guest Author on Tuesday, May 3rd, 2011
This article discusses the benefits of entrepreneurs using a serviced or virtual office rather than renting traditional office space. This article was written by Annie Pathania of Servcorp, iPitch’s office and virtual services partner.
Changing times and economic conditions have brought about a shift in the way business is done in the world today. No longer is the traditional 9 to 5 desk job in a large company considered the only way to run a business. The rise of the mobile and home-based business has created an unprecedented demand for flexible workspace solutions. Serviced and virtual offices are redefining the world of work and offer businesses of all sizes flexible, innovative cost effective solutions.
Today entrepreneurs need a smart efficient solution that will not only give their business a professional image and the tools to focus on increasing their bottom line rather than having to worry about the day to day running of an office. So the concept of serviced and virtual offices is fast becoming a worldwide phenomenon and that Holy Grail solution that entrepreneurs have been searching for.
