The idea of Intellectual Property (or IP) can seem intimidating at first glance, but IP is all around us and learning to recognize what kind of IP you have in your hands is something that can help you out a lot.
Let’s take an example of something everyone uses these days- a smartphone.
The first thing we notice about a smartphone is the look- the colour, the shape, the configuration and the design. This overall look of the phone can be protected as a design.
The next thing we might have a look at is how the phone operates. How the camera works, how the battery operates, and how the sensors work. All these technological elements can be protected under patents.
The next thing we look at is something small but vitally important- the logo. The logo, or more specifically the brand, indicates the source of the phone. Apple, Samsung, and OnePlus are all Trademarks- and chances are the trust and elements associated with the brand has greatly influenced your purchasing choices.
Then there are all the things that make a phone significant- the apps. Regardless of the functionality of the apps, the software behind them is protected by copyright.
There’s also a chance that a developer might choose to not use any of the listed types of IP, instead preferring to rely on secrecy. These are Trade Secrets. For example, the google algorithm- which governs how the omnipresent google search works, is an example of a Trade Secret.
This is just a list of IP-elements in a single everyday object, the smartphone. But this analysis can be used pretty much everything in our lives today. IP is something that touches the life of everyone throughout their lives, much like physical property.
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