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Jane Lambert
I have been holding free 30-minute consultations on intellectual property and related areas of the law at the Barnsley Business and Innovation Centre ("BBIC") between 10:00 and 12:00 on the second Tuesday of every month for the last 10 years and at other venues in the North of England for even longer. During that time, the question that I have been asked most frequently is "How can I protect my business idea?"
It is not an easy question to answer because it depends on the type of product and the nature of your business. A patent may afford the most extensive protection for a new product or process but if the costs of patenting, insuring and policing the are likely to outweigh the income likely to be generated from the invention you would be better off looking at other forms of legal protection.
To help start-ups and other small businesses work out the answer for themselves I shall be giving a talk entitled
How can I protect my Business Idea?
at Barnsley BIC on 9 May 2017 between 12:15 and 13:15.I will introduce you to all the tools in the legal toolbox such as patents, trade secrecy, unregistered design rights, trade marks et cetera.
I will tell you the advantages and disadvantages of each type of protection. For example, patents offer the most extensive protection but they are expensive to get, maintain and enforce, they are not always easy to get, they may be revoked after grant and you have to disclose to the world including your competitors how to make or use them.
I will explain how to get each type of IP and how much it will cost.
I will give you some useful tips about insurance, watch services and enforcement.
I will advise you on the different types of IP professional, where to find them, how to instruct them and how much they are likely to cost.
Finally, I will share a methodology for working out an IP strategy.
Space is likely to be limited so call Christine Mason on 01226 249590 or George Scanlon on 020 7404 5252 to book your place.
The full address of BBIC is
Barnsley Business and Innovation Centre
Innovation Way
Barnsley
S75 1JL
Tel: 01226 249590
You will find full directions on the BBIC contact page. Usually, there is plenty of on-site and street parking. The BBIC is not far from the town centre from where there are good rail links to Huddersfield, Sheffield, Leeds, Wakefield, Doncaster and the rest of the country and well served by local buses.
