App inventors warned to guard intellectual property

The Law Society is helping budding inventors looking to stake their claim in the 'app' rush by highlighting the advantages of seeking legal advice to secure their intellectual property rights on their inventions.

Apple iPhone applications can be worth thousands of pounds a day and anyone with a laptop and a good idea can stake their claim. As the rush to create new apps gathers pace, prospective 'app-inventors' will be one step ahead if they are aware of copyright and intellectual property laws to ensure their ideas are properly protected.

Intellectual property rights form a vital part of any inventors' assets. These rights underpin brand image, protect inventions and creative works and cover the vast array of confidential information and copyright works a company or individual may possess.

Intellectual property rights encourage research and development and creative endeavours and provide a key point of differentiation in the market. Such issues are especially important in industry sectors like IT and media and entertainment. 

The Law Society warning is aimed at increasing levels of Intellectual Property awareness among entrepreneurs and small businesses to help increase the competitiveness of innovative individuals.