In this lecture we looked at Intellectual Property and the various forms of protection you should be aware of as a working designer, a freelance designer and more specifically as a start up or entrepreneur. It is important that we have at least a basic level of knowledge of this as it will be relevant in our careers.

Intellectual Property

Intellectual property is anything original that someone creates is their intellectual property if it is protected by the law. Any product you create such as writing a song, drawing a picture, naming a product etc. You own this until you sell the rights to a client. With this, you can license your work out for others to use at a cost, with discretion however they still do not own it.

I had always had a preconceived thought that IPs where something to do with the economy and the ownerships of lots of businesses. I wasn't aware that intellectual property is the creation from the human mind and can be as little as a sketch. Something I was slightly confused about was how is this ownership authorised and proven. I am aware of copyrighting and trademarking however I want to know how these are actually work and how they can protect someone’s work.

Intellectual property: Designs

There are different types of Intellectual property that I was not aware of. These are listed below:

• Patents - exclusive right granted for an invention. Generally speaking, a patent provides the patent owner with the right to decide how - or whether - the invention can be used by others.
• Copyright - legal term used to describe the rights that creators have over their literary and artistic works.
• Trademarks - A trademark is a sign capable of distinguishing the goods or services of one enterprise from those of other enterprises.
• Industrial Designs - constitutes the ornamental or aesthetic aspect of an article. A design may consist of three-dimensional features, such as the shape or surface of an article, or of two-dimensional features, such as patterns, lines or color.
• Geographical Indicators - Geographical indications and appellations of origin are signs used on goods that have a specific geographical origin and possess qualities, a reputation or characteristics that are essentially attributable to that place of origin.
• Trade secrets - IP rights on confidential information which may be sold or licensed.

NDAs

NDAs stand for a Non Disclosed Agreement. It is a contract in which each party agrees not to disclose any of the information covered in the agreement. It creates a confidential relationship between each party and forces them to have trust in one another.

As I only had a basic understanding of NFTs I assumed that they were used for sneaky, secretive, dangerous or discrete purposes. If I was involved in an NDA agreement I would feel scared and not want to be apart of it, therefore I wanted to further research into them to shake this fear.

When to Use a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) | LegalVision UK

I was confused on why a business might need to disclose sensitive/ private information to someone outside of the business other than numbers for accountants. However there are plenty different types of information that would be discussed which Is listed below:

• use an accountant or tax adviser;
• provide design information to a manufacturer;