Successful CEOs and Founders know the importance of building and protecting intellectual property (IP) assets. This fact is not limited to technology sector businesses. It also applies to other product and service businesses. Defensible intellectual property assets represent value when preparing for their eventual exit.

What is defensible intellectual property?

Intellectual property are intangible assets, including inventions, artistic works, symbols, images, logos, content, methodologies, text, videos and audio files, software code, algorithms, and more. All intangible assets created by a business hold the essence of a business’s uniqueness.

Registered intellectual property (IP) is defensible. This is IP that has been registered with a governmental authority. These assets include trademarks, copyrights, patents, and trade secrets registered with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. For example, to protect my company’s unique consulting methodology for preparing a business for expansion or sale, I registered the trademark GET INVESTMENT READY®.

In addition to registering your IP, be sure to sign an Intellectual Property Assignment Agreement to clarify who the legal IP owner is when you have employees and other external suppliers create content or methodologies for your business.

Work With An Intellectual Property Attorney

Work with an attorney specializing in Intellectual Property to create and protect your intellectual property. An IP attorney can prepare applications for the United States Patent and Trademark Office and an Intellectual Property Assignment Agreement.

Defensible intellectual property assets represent value when preparing for your eventual exit. Investors and acquirers want to know that you own and have protected the business’s intellectual property.

What are you doing to protect your company’s intellectual property?

Intellectual property is everywhere in your business. Begin with an inventory of what makes your business unique – content, methodologies, etc. Your IP could one day be worth more than your tangible assets.