Patents, utility models, trademarks, and industrial designs can protect your know-how and brand from plagiarism and grant you ownership of technical solutions, designs, and – for example – logos.
Here are 4 tips on how to keep your ideas and intellectual property safe in 2023.
1. Assess your intellectual property portfolio (IP Scan)
Your intellectual property is a valuable economic asset that can be leveraged in various ways, from licensing and selling to using it to evaluate your company’s worth. To make the most of your IP, it’s crucial to assess its current state. The best way to do this is by conducting an audit (IP Scan).
IP Scan provides a comprehensive overview of your intangible assets, including their type, scope, and effectiveness, as well as potential risks and opportunities. It can also identify ways to protect and optimize your IP and help you with developing your IP strategy.
2. Protect your logo
Do you work hard to build a good name but leave your logo unprotected? By failing to secure your intellectual property, you expose yourself to the risk of reputational damage caused by counterfeits and other unauthorized uses.
Trademark costs around CZK 11, 000 and with it you can obtain exclusive rights to use and protect your logo or other signs you choose to protect.
💡 The trademark also protects animation, a catchphrase, repetition of a design or a colour combination, for example. Learn more about the categories of trademarks.
3. Monitor your competition
While trademark registration can protect your logo, authorities do not carry out research on older rights, leaving you vulnerable to similar or interchangeable trademark registration by others. By regularly monitoring databases, you can identify and oppose such entries.
💡 By monitoring public and professional databases, you can also discover the latest industry trends, find open source technical solutions for your development or identify suitable partners for cooperation.
4. Take advantage of subsidy and grant opportunities
In 2023, you can get a significant financial boost for nearly all IP activities. Innovation Vouchers by Ministry of Industry and Trade covers expenses of patent attorneys, and EUIPO SME Fund supports administration fees.
Innovation Vouchers – protection of industrial property rights – Call I offers 75% support for all patent attorney services leading to publication of patent applications, or registration of trademarks, industrial desings and utility models.
This could be an excellent opportunity to gain the resources and expertise necessary to gain a competitive edge in your industry.
What expenses are eligible in Innovation Vouchers?
- application drafting and submission
- patentability search and other IP searches
- translations
- representation before the authorities
Minimum subsidy amount for 1 project is CZK 50, 000, maximum is CZK 500, 000. The number of applications per 1 applicant is not limited.
If your expenses are lower, you may be interested in an opportunity offered by the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO). In 2023, EUIPO is launching the third round of the Ideas Powered for Business SME fund. It provides financial support to small and medium-sized enterprises seeking to protect and manage their intellectual property.
EUIPO covers:
- 90 % of IP scan (from a total €900, you can get a €810 reimbursement)
- €1, 000 for the trademark and industrial design application fees
Both subsidies are limited and available on a first come, first served basis.
Do you want help navigating the intellectual property field, so you can focus on growing your business?
