Worksheet

Intellectual
property strategy:
Safeguard what
you create
1
Protecting your
intellectual property (IP):
Plan of action
Use this document to identify and valuate your business’s intellectual
property (IP), and plan your strategy for protecting it. Reexamine your
strategy regularly and update it as you progress or develop a new IP.

Your objective
Fill in your one-sentence objective on why protecting your intellectual
property is important to you and your business.

Intellectual property strategy: Safeguard what you create 2

Inventory your intellectual property
Identify your intellectual property, including assets in development that
may qualify as IP.

In the table below, list your intellectual property, its location, and the
location of the development records. If you haven’t organized your
development records yet, add this task to Part 3 below.

Example

IP asset Location Record of development

Original website designs and code folder location file location

Brand logo and tagline folder location file location

Plans for app development folder location file location

IP asset Location Record of development

Intellectual property strategy: Safeguard what you create 3

Estimate the value of your IP and
prioritize protection
To determine what IP protection you should invest in first, start by
estimating the revenue each piece of IP is contributing to your business.
This value is increased by what you’ve already spent on development or
marketing. Then, weigh the overall value against the cost of protecting it.

Example (your IP’s value and cost will differ)

IP asset Estimated Possible future Estimated cost of Priority

value now value or other initial protection
considerations

Brand logo and Revenue Invested ~$20,000 Trademark registration

tagline ~$150,000/year building the brand/ ~$600 2
cost of rebranding Attorney fees ~$1,000

Site design Revenue Revenue growing Copyright registration

source code ~$800,00/year $65,000 year-over- ~$65.00 1
year Attorney fees ~$300.00

Plans for app $0 Similar apps NDA drafting/attorney

development generate ~$200,000 fees ~$300 3
year over year

IP asset Estimated Possible future Estimated cost of Priority

value now value or other initial protection
considerations

Intellectual property strategy: Safeguard what you create 4

Starting your IP protection plan
List the first steps you will take to protect your IP.

•  tart at the very beginning – what do you need to do to start the

S
process?

• If you’re unsure where to start or need assistance, where will you go
for help?

Note the date you will start and when you will take the next action, such
as follow-up dates for previous steps or when you will take the next step.

Example

IP protection task Who can help me Start date Date of follow-up

do it? or next steps

Register my trademark Attorney Meeting set – Follow up May 1

April 17

Learn more about copyrights and DIY initial research May 1 Begin registration
next steps process: May 14

Gather files/emails/documents Programmer May 1 Follow up May 8

showing the development lifecycle
for site source code and add it to IP
inventory

IP protection task Who can help me Start date Date of follow-up

do it? or next steps

Intellectual property strategy: Safeguard what you create 5

 IP protection task Who can help me Start date Date of follow-up
do it? or next steps

Maintenance task schedule

Make note of any recurring tasks you will complete to maintain your IP
protections and monitor for infringement, such as:

• Updating records of development

• Registration renewals

• Active monitoring tasks, such as:

- S
 cheduled searches for infringement, such as reverse-image
searches, titles, or key phrases

- R
 egular audits to ensure authorized users are adhering to
agreements

- Monitoring software maintenance

Example

IP Task Due date or Assigned to

recurring cycle

Trademark Registration renewal Every 6 years - begin Myself

next in July, 2030

Source code Copyright Update with latest Developer

monitoring software assets every 2 weeks,
starting April 17

Image library Licensed use audit Monthly, starting Administrative

April 17 assistant

Intellectual property strategy: Safeguard what you create 6

IP Task Due date or Assigned to
recurring cycle

Intellectual property strategy: Safeguard what you create 7

Glossary
Use this glossary to review key terms and understand how they show up
in the real world.

Definition Practical use

Intellectual
property (IP)
A variety of creations, including inventions,
art, literary works, symbols, and designs.
IP also includes names and images used
in commerce.
Source: The Free Dictionary
Most businesses generate some type of
intellectual property. Branding assets (logos,
catch phrases), original text, art, photography,
proprietary recipes, source code and
inventions are all considered intellectual
property.

Trademarks
IP protection that safeguards your unique Trademark symbols (™) and registered
brand, including logos, taglines, and trademark symbols (®) demonstrate that
company names. the business owner has claimed the words
and images used in this brand as their own
property. Registering a trademark gives
business owners added legal protections.
Source: Copyright Alliance

Intellectual property strategy: Safeguard what you create 8

 Definition
Copyrights
Protect artistic works, such as writing
(including emails), art, music, and
video recordings.
Source: U.S. Copyright Office
Trade secret
Commercially valuable information that
you secure by keeping it private.
Source: World Intellectual Property
Organization (WIPO)
Nondisclosure
agreement (NDA)
Legal documents that explicitly state the
confidentiality of specific information and
the consequences of unauthorized use
or disclosure.
Source: University at Buffalo
Intellectual property strategy: Safeguard what you create
Practical use
Originators have immediate copyrights and
can add copyright symbols and dates to
their work as soon asthey’ve completed it.
The symbol signals that the author is the
originator of the asset. Copyright information
also helps connect originators with those
who may want to use their creative work.
Trade secrets are usually valuable
information or processes used in the
business which derive some of their value
from being kept secret from others (for
example, a secret recipe, formulation or
manufacturing process).
NDAs are leveraged in many business
situations where sensitive information is
shared. You may be asked to sign an NDA
as part of a sales process to keep the
information you learn private, or you might put
one in place when pitching an idea that you
have not yet developed.
9
 Definition
Patents
Protect your rights to your inventions,
code, ideas, artistic ornamentation of
functional items, new plant varieties, or
modifications of existing patents.
Source: The United States Patent and
Trademark Office (USPTO)
*The content provided is for informational
purposes, and Verizon is not responsible for
your use or implementation of this content.
Practical use
If your business invents a new product,
enhancement or adornment of an existing
product or the like, patents ensure you have
the legal right to be the only one who can
reproduce it. Patents can also be licensed
or sold.
Intellectual property strategy: Safeguard what you create 10