Trademarks and patents
Description
It’s one thing to build something and another to keep it safe. We get told all the time to protect our ideas, but very few of us actually know what that looks like in practice. So instead of starting early, we wait until there’s a problem. If you’ve created something unique: product design, name, logo, formula, a process, something you know you’d be upset to see someone else use, then maybe it’s worth taking a moment to look at how protected it really is.
Ideas can’t speak for themselves and therefore they need legal paperwork to do that for them. So if you’ve built a recognisable brand, or have built something unique that you know gives you an edge, then it definitely needs to be registered.
Ideas can’t speak for themselves and therefore they need legal paperwork to do that for them. So if you’ve built a recognisable brand, or have built something unique that you know gives you an edge, then it definitely needs to be registered.
Summary
If you don’t protect what you’ve built, it becomes easy for someone else to claim it. Trademarks and patents exist to prevent exactly this. They are practical tools that secure your rights and give you the freedom to grow without fear of being copied. Waiting until there’s a problem usually means facing extra costs and legal battles, which don't guarantee that you’ll win it back. Start early because it is much easier to defend what’s clearly marked as yours.
