What do I need next?

Business Start Up Guide

When you are starting a business you will need to consider:

• Protecting your trade marks that is associated with the services or products you provide
• Registering a business name if you are trading not as a company but in your own name
• Registering a domain name that will allow customers to access you on the Web
• Protecting your products or method with patents and designs

With starting a business we offer a trade mark business pack where we file for registration of your trade mark, register your domain name and business name as a single service and at a greatly reduced cost compared with the overall cost of having the three separate services.  The further advantage is that the trade mark, domain name and even the business name can be coordinated to present the same brand entity to obtain maximum leverage in the market place.

Buying a Business

When you are buying a business it is necessary to have an IP Audit conducted of the intellectual property that the business has and to determine whether it is properly protected.  

An IP Audit will involve determining if there are any trade marks, designs, patents, domain names registered.  

An IP Audit can also determine whether the business name requirements have been met, confidential information has been properly recorded and whether there is a register of licenses (both in and out licensing).

Selling a Business?

When you are selling a business and wish to maximise your sale price, it is necessary to consider:

• Whether your trade marks have been properly protected
• Whether your products and services are protected by patents or designs or properly recorded as confidential information

We can prepare an IP Asset register that records your intellectual property in a single document to quantify your intellectual property assets.

Invented Something?

When you have invented something you will need to consider how you are going to maintain a hold over the technology after the invention has been shown to others or placed on the retail shelves.

The invention may be protectable with patents or designs.

If the invention is being marketed it will be necessary to brand it with a trade mark. 

It is advisable to register the trade mark to protect it throughout the country.

Launching a New Product?

When launching a new product it is necessary to consider obtaining patent or design protection before it is launched.

It is also necessary to consider trade mark protection for the brand of your product.

Investing in Technology?

When investing in technology it is necessary to

• assess the technology,
• whether patents, designs or trade mark protection exists,
• what countries does protection exist,
• an opinion on the validity of the patents, designs or trade mark in an IP Audit.  

With an IP Audit, only then can you be in a position to decide whether to invest in the technology.

Licensing Technology?

When you are licensing out technology, it is necessary that you protect the technology with patents, designs and trade marks.  In this manner, you maintain a hold over the technology and it is clear to both parties as to what is being licensed.