Overview

Intellectual property (or "I.P.") is becoming more important because of the significant value of I.P. to many businesses, which in some cases may exceed the value of physical, tangible assets.

To protect IP, one must consider the IP type, how to protect and/or register IP, and what the remedies are for infringement.

Instructions

Create a fictitious intellectual property asset (i.e. tangible product, logo, invention, published works, etc.) for your the business entity you chose Module 5: Assignment 4 - Choosing a Business Entity and write a paragraph for each of the following items below.

Include a Title page (with the assignment name, your name, PCC class title, instructor name, and assignment due date) and a Reference page.(Title and reference pages DO NOT count towards the length of the paper.)

1. Summarize the type of business entity (from the Module 5: Assignment 4 - Choosing a Business Entity assignment) and what kind of products or services are provided.

2. List and depict/describe your choice of intellectual property for your business that you are trying to protect as intellectual property.

3. Which category of intellectual property does it fall under? (Copyright, Trademark, Patent, or Trade Secret) Explain.

4. What are the requirements to protect this type of intellectual property? Explain the legal protections (i.e. consider whether it has to be formally registered with an appropriate government agency to receive legal protection from infringement and for how long does the intellectual property receive protection).

5. Define "infringement" and explain the remedies for infringement of your chosen intellectual property category.

6. What are the potential legal and economic consequences for your business if you do not protect your intellectual property? Explain.

7. References: Provide the applicable sources and links to the website(s) that you have used for guidance on protecting your intellectual property and attach a "References" page with all sources used in your paper (including your textbook) and format it according to the APA style. Include all of your links and other governmental agency website links.

Format: Type your assignment using full sentences rather than bullet points thoroughly addressing all of the above items. In addition, the length of the paper and analysis should be at least 2 pages (500 words), but not more than 4 pages (1,000 words) and it must be double-spaced . Use MS Word, one-inch margins and 12-point Times New Roman font (double-spaced) and APA format for citing references (Refer to: APA Citation Guide).

Use of References/Sources: Use primary, legitimate sources for your research (i.e. the sources listed in the instructions, official government/industry websites, major newspapers/magazines, industry/academic business journals, etc.). If you have any concern whether a source is legitimate, then either check with the instructor, campus librarian, or do not use it. Do not use Wikipedia as a primary source.