HOW TO PROTECT YOUR INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

Tatjana Medvedev

Tatjana Medvedev

Dec 3, 2023 · 4 min read

There are a few things in life that will help us protect the properties we own easier. For cars, houses and property, there are contracts we can hold on to. However, protecting our intellectual property proves to be a more difficult job.

Throughout our career, we designed and issued Urban Designs and rarely signed them and then documents get published without mentioning a  Lead Urban Designer. Furthermore, Urban Designers are not mentioned in the Urban Design awards in Australia. Overseas however is a different practice.

Going even further along the same route, once the designer of the Urban Designs is deleted from the page we no longer take responsibility for the life of the plan. And as we know our plans are implemented and live for the future 30 years.

How do we protect our intellectual property?

The answer is through properly educating ourselves about intellectual property laws. Intellectual property relates to the art, designs and inventions created.  It could be Urban Design, music, mobile apps, inventions, literary works or any creative works. Intellectual property is one of the best assets a creative individual or business can have. That is why it should be properly protected. Unlike tangible properties such as a house or car, intellectual property is harder to grasp and easier to steal. That is why patents, trademarks and copyrights exist to protect the intellectual property owner.

We are also governed by the intellectual property law.

Renowned intellectual property lawyer Sharon Givoni lets us in on tips and tricks to better understand intellectual property law in her new book Owning It: A Creative’s Guide to Copyright, Contracts and the Law. The book is written creatively and not with legal jargon where readers can easily understand the law even without a degree. It dresses the law in a language that common people understand. With a foreword by artwork freelancer and designer Beci Orpin, Owning It is equipped with real-life case studies and teaches creative individuals and professionals who work in the creative industry how intellectual property law is designed to help them protect their work. The book also serves as a guide to protecting your brand and using social media as well as working with lawyers to achieve positive legal outcomes.

Sharon Givoni is the Principal Solicitor at Sharon Givoni Consulting, a boutique intellectual property (IP) law firm based in Melbourne, Australia. While she represents clients in all sectors, Sharon also specialises in assisting those in the creative industries, ranging from artists, musicians and sculptors to architects, graphic designers, bloggers, authors, filmmakers and advertising agencies.

www.sharongivoni.com.au

Owning It: A Creative’s Guide to Copyright, Contracts and the Law.

Publisher: Tess McCabe

Author photo © Laura Maniriti www.lauramanariti.com.au

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