IP awareness resources (revised 19 Jul 2010)

IPAN reviewed resources

• copyright

• designs

• patents

• trademarks and domain names

• IP in general

• educational

• enforcement of IP rights - includes new powers of Trading Standards

help for inventors, startup businesses and SMEs

• confidentiality
  useful booklet about Confidential Disclosure Agreements (CDAs; secrecy agreements) from the UK IP Office
   

• ip guidelines for business
  useful general introductory material developed by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and aimed at small businesses

• my ip - ip explained - starter guide for SMEs (3MB download)
  excellent readable pamphlet from the UK Intellectual Property Office (IPO) on IP essentials

• information for US inventors
  inventors resource website from the US Patent & Trademark Office - explaining the basics of the US system for patents and trade marks

• inventing the future - patents for SMEs
  useful introductory booklet for SMEs from WIPO

• patents: essential reading
  helpful information from the UK IPO - is patenting the correct approach for your invention? - also outlines the process in the UK and abroad

• my idea: is it a business? (3MB download)
  another clear pamphlet from the UK IPO giving basic information

• seven deadly sins of inventors
  cartoon version from the EPO

• WIPO SME guides
  range of useful booklets for SMEs on commercial IP applications

• intellectual property guide
  BBRSC general publication

• bioscience exploitation Guide
  useful BBSRC booklet aimed mainly at academics

• IP rights in China: helpdesk for SMEs
  The China IP Rights Helpdesk provides free information, first-line advice and training support to European SMEs to protect and enforce their IP rights in China.

• InnovAccess
  new website aimed at giving SMEs across Europe access to basic information and on-line tutorials about IP  IPeuropAware

• Theros IP guidelines for  higher education centres - (Murgitroyd & Co and Thorntons WS)
  practical and user-friendly introduction by IP specialists with extensive experience in this area—useful for academic and research staff, technology transfer specialists and commercialisation managers
   

• Theros IP guidelines for the NHS - (Murgitroyd & Co and Thorntons WS)
  similar to the general Theros IP guide-lines above but tailored to the needs of researchers and business development managers working in the UK National Health Service
   

• a CEO's guide to IP - (Computer Patent Annuities Ltd)
  basic guidance about IP strategy with input from IP expert Jeremy Phillips

• commercialisation - best practices
  useful advice on commericalisation of mainly public assets (e.g. NHS) in short presentations available from the Partnerships UK Website

• document archiving - why?
  a personal view from John Grant MBE - an experienced UK IP practitioner

• intellectual asset management
  general information for small businesses  from the Intellectual Asset Centre sponsored by the Scottish Executive

• mediation - an alternative to legal proceedings?
  the UK IP Office now provides a mediation service to help companies and individuals involved in IP disputes as a form of Alternative Dispute Resolution

• business primers on IP rights in major markets
  UK Trade & Investment in partnership with the Intellectual Property Office have developed a series of IP Primers to help British companies in the major markets around the world.

  • Brazil (352Kb)

  • China (390Kb)

  • Korea (441Kb)

  • India (362Kb)

  • Vietnam (344Kb)

general information - useful links to other internet resources of useful IP awareness materials:

• Intellectual Property Office
  the website of the former UK Patent Office has been recently rebuilt and is now easier to use, clearly separating general information from material mainly for IP professionals

• IPR-Helpdesk
  aimed primarily at contractors in EU funded R&D programmes - the site contains much useful IP awareness information

• WIPO - SMEs
  this Division provides many useful information sources tailored to the needs of small businesses and start-up companies

• IP Australia
  well structured website with useful basic information about IP and an excellent set of materials for journalists in the IP Media Centre

• Swiss IP Institute (IGE)
  well structured website with clear basic and supplementary information about IP

get professional advice

• UK based, specialist professional IP advisers

searching for patents

• UK - via Espacenet
   
• European - via Espacenet
   
• US - via US Patent & Trademark Office
   
• US - via Google

newsletters

• IP Insight is a free, monthly newsletter from the UK IPO which offers information and advice about all aspects of intellectual property.
   
• IPR-Helpdesk produces a monthly bulletin of useful general articles on IP matters