13.05.2025
Intellectual Property - and especially patents - can be key to the success of an innovation-led company, but protecting it can be costly. Start-ups inevitably face challenges in balancing the value of IP against the cost of protection. We provide some creative tips for managing IP in an innovation-led start-up, with a particular focus on patents and other types of IP arising from inventive activity.
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Be clear about the purpose IP will have in your business short-term and long-term. Focus your IP strategy and planning around this.
Capture and record IP as it is generated in a simple format, and make pro-active decisions about how it will be handled. This sets you up for good IP processes, and it ensures you have a list of all your valuable IP easily to hand, including IP that hasn’t been subject to registered rights (this is helpful for potential investors).
Once an invention has been publicly disclosed – by anyone (including yourself) and in any way – it is no longer “new” and is therefore not eligible for patent protection. Disclosures include e.g. publication in a paper, a conference presentation, discussing the invention with anyone without a clear understanding of confidentiality in place, using the invention in a non-confidential environment in such a way that someone could see what the invention is.
Filing patent applications costs money, and the costs can be significant to a start-up balancing budgets. You will probably have to make compromises to balance budget and your IP ambitions.
Having your own registered IP does not guarantee you freedom to use it. Competitors’ IP rights may get in the way. Think about when and how you will identify and manage the risk of competitors’ IP.
Get IP knowledge and advice early in your start-up journey. Line up an attorney you would like to work with at an early stage, even if you are not yet ready to instruct a package of work, so that you are able to act quickly when the time comes. Most attorneys will offer a little free time for an initial consultation, so make the most of this.
If you are involved in an innovation-led start-up and would like to discuss any aspect of IP with a patent attorney, get in touch with Emily Weal, or any of our other attorneys, for a consultation.
18.06.2025
Recognition, growth, and what’s next for Keltie in Ireland: A Q&A with Sean CummingsKeltie’s success in delivering its renowned IP services to the Irish market has been recognised by being named among leading Irish and UK firms in the recent IAM Patent 1000 and IP STARS rankings.
16.06.2025
Generative AI and CopyrightThe launch of OpenAI’s ChatGPT in November 2022 brought generative AI to the forefront, transforming how people work and create. Since then, models that can process and generate not only text but also images, audio, and video have gained momentum. However, these advancements raise significant copyright concerns: generative AI uses copyrighted materials for training and produces realistic, original content, thus challenging traditional concepts of authorship and originality.
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