I have an invention idea, how can I protect it?

There are different forms of idea protection, these are known as ‘Intellectual Property Protection’. They include the following categories;

• Provisional Patent Protection: Short term (one year) protection for a ‘product’ or functional item. Often used to reduce short term costs considerably.
• Utility Patent Protection: Long term patent protection (twenty years) for a product or functional item. Included in this category could be manufacturing process, business processes or system.
• Industrial Design Patent: Protection specifically for the ‘aesthetic’ of an item. Often used for uniquely designed furniture, vase or french doors.
• Trade Mark: Protection for unique names, logos or symbols. Common Trade Marks include Velcro, Coca-Cola or the Nike ‘Swoosh’.
• Copyright: Protects works of art of a various nature, including for example: poems, drawings and paintings, photographs, books, game or assembly instructions etc.Frequently Asked Questions on how to Patent and License New Ideas, Product Inventions.