What´s Intellectual Propterty?

914 Words2 Pages

Intellectual Property (IP) refers to the fabrication of human minds which perceive to be recognised for exclusive rights. Pioneers, maestros and sole-proprietors are granted exclusive rights to a collection of intangible assets for a specified period. There are various types of IP laws. In Singapore, they are protected by trademarks, copyrights, patent, geographical indications, registered designs, plant varieties protection, layout-design of integrated circuits and miscellaneous amendments. Even though intellectual property is an intangible asset to a company, they give business partners and financial institutions the assurance to partner with and add capital with the chosen organisation, making them as valuable as a tangible asset. By securing their creation, owners can amplify the value of their intellectual property by including them in a transaction, license them out and franchising them. Thus, many types of laws are required to protect their intellectual property as they can alter from confidential information of innovations, to artistic works. Patent is an entitlement granted to the owner of an invention that stops others from making, using, importing or selling the invention without his/her permission. A patentable invention can be either a product or a process that provide a new non-theoretical resolution to a problem. It can also have a new ways of doing things, the composition of a new product, or a technical improvement on how certain objects runs. Once you register a patent, other than using patent to forbid others from making use of your invention, you can use it to raise funds for your business, license it to third parties for profits. When a patent is granted, the duration of protection for a patent is 20 ... ... middle of paper ... ...om a particular location which gives that product a special quality or reputation or other characteristic. Popular examples of GIs include Bordeaux (wine), Darjeeling (tea) and Tuscany (olive oil). In Singapore, a GI can be protected under the Geographical Indications Act (Cap. 117B). It may also be allowed for registration as a trade mark under the Trade Marks Act (Cap. 332). However, there is a stark contrast between a GI and a trade mark. A GI tells consumers that goods comes from a certain place and has special qualities due to that place of origin, while a trade mark is used to distinguish a business’ goods or services from those of other businesses. A GI may be used by all producers or traders whose products originate from that place and they may share common traits, while a trade mark gives its owners the right to prevent others from using the trade mark.

Open Document